Danish Gambling Authority blocks 49 illegal websites

The Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) has successfully obtained court orders to block 49 websites offering online gambling products and services to Danish customers without a local licence.

Under Danish law, it is illegal to offer gambling in the country without a licence from the Danish Gambling Authority. The same applies if a foreign operator targets the Danish market.

"It is a very important task for the Danish Gambling Authority to ensure that Danes are not exposed to gambling that is offered illegally in Denmark and that does not comply with the requirements for consumer protection, among other things, set out in the gambling legislation.

“At the same time, we must ensure that the gambling operators who have a licence to offer gambling in Denmark can operate on the Danish market without unfair competition from providers who do not have to live up to Danish requirements," says director of the Danish Gambling Authority, Anders Dorph.  

The DGA also revealed that it is changing strategy, and aims to block unregulated gambling websites twice a year. Previously, the blockages took place annually.

"We are constantly trying to optimise our efforts against illegal gambling, and one of our latest initiatives is, among other things, to block illegal websites more often than before. This means that the illegal sites are active in Denmark for a shorter period of time, because the sites will be blocked sooner after we have identified them," explains Mr Dorph.  

The DGA uses automated searches, but also follows up on reports from individuals and businesses.  

If the DGA discovers sites offering unregulated gambling, the authority makes them aware of the violation and asks them to stop the illegal offer.

Failing this, the DGA will ask the district court to have the sites blocked. In practical terms, it is the Danish ISPs that must implement the blocking of the illegal gambling sites. 

The blocked websites mainly offer traditional casino games such as roulette, gaming machines and poker, as well as betting. Thirteen of the websites are so-called skin betting websites, which cover betting, casino games and lotteries where the deposit and/or winnings are a skin, which is a virtual item in computer games.