Denmark enters a new dawn of online gambling reform

A high importance was placed on the drawing on inspiration from other neighbouring states to assist in the formulation of both a balanced and pragmatically designed online gambling infrastructure together with the need to maintain good ethical standards for players.   

The extremely well attended and timely forum hosted by Awedacity Ltd on 3rd October 2011, focused in on the fundamental areas of relevance for operators both pre and post licensing.  The day was of particular relevance for businesses eager to enter the market from January 2012 and obtain an initial on year license, as the deadline of noon October 17th draws ever closer.

A proportion of the technical standards that will need to be submitted by 01 November 2011 mirror the standards laid down in Alderney, so operators licensed in this jurisdiction will be benefited due to Danish mutual signed agreement.  An informative dialogue was also provided on the enforcement aspect of the certification process once licences have been granted, with the DGA carrying out targeted and in some cases real time audits on their licensees with AML and CTF requirement streams being on the agenda in the not too distant future. Other areas covered during the day’s discussions were the new legislative structure, licensing restrictions, data protection and advertising.

As the conference drew to a close, Wes Himes of Policy Action formally announced the launch of the “Danish Online Gambling Organisation” whose group members already include Bet 365, Unibet, Betfair and Sportingbet.  The organisation will act as a single voice for the online gambling industry, develop codes of practice and play a key role in supporting a well-regulated market in Denmark.  

Rory Credland, Director of Awedacity added: “We were truly delighted to play such a pivotal role in orchestrating this landmark gathering which represented a unique opportunity for direct dialogue with both the Regulator and leading gaming law specialists.  The DGA have worked tirelessly to progress to where we see them today, being bold enough to place a high importance on continually challenging and engaging with the successes and lessons to be learnt from their European counterparts.”