Denmark has proposed tighter restrictions on gambling advertising, including a ban on marketing around live sports broadcasts, as part of a draft Bill scheduled for its first reading on October 22, 2026.
Introduced by Tax and Growth Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt, the legislation would prohibit gambling marketing from appearing during the 10 minutes before and after a live sports broadcast.
The proposed rules would also prevent advertisements from portraying gambling as entertainment, suggesting it could change someone’s life, featuring anyone under the age of 25, or appealing to people under 18.
Outdoor gambling advertising would be prohibited on public transport and restricted within 200 metres of educational institutions, including schools and universities.
Sponsorships of sports clubs and physical venues would remain permitted under the proposals.
The Bill would also introduce a legal duty of care requiring gambling operators to proactively monitor and intervene in problem gambling behaviour. Operators would have to maintain internal records of their responsible gambling procedures, provide safer gambling education to staff and partners, and periodically assess the effectiveness of their existing systems.
The proposed legislation sets out a revised penalty framework for land-based and online operators. Physical gambling venues could face fines of DKK 60,000 ($8,987.28) for a first violation and DKK 80,000 ($11,983.04) for a second, while a third violation could lead to licence suspension.
For online operators, penalties would take gross gaming revenue (GGR) into account, with fines calculated as a proportion of revenue.
The advertising compliance requirements would also extend to third parties promoting gambling, including influencers and affiliates.
On enforcement, the Bill would expand the powers of gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden to block unlicensed intermediary websites targeting the Danish market.
The proposed legislation is intended to enter into force on January 1, 2027.