Abbie Chadwick
On September 25, the Danish Gambling Authority announced that from October 1, any individuals looking to place bets at retail betting locations across the country will need to present operator-issued player identification cards. In addition to sports betting, the requirement will also encompass lotteries and scratch card games.
As stated in the watchdog’s announcement, providers will be free to issue either physical cards or virtual cards that could be utilized through a smartphone application. It is also written that only bettors who have a registered account with a given provider can acquire the said gambling operator’s card and wager at the gambling company’s retail gambling locations.
The unique ID cards will bring the utility of online betting websites to land-based locations, as each card will track its user’s bets and prevent wagering activity if the bettor has implemented bet limits on their account. Bettors will also benefit from the fact that winnings will be issued virtually thanks to the card system, i.e., no losses will be incurred should an individual displace their bet slip.
Moreover, Danish Residents who have entered Denmark’s Register of Voluntarily Excluded Players (ROFUS) and have, therefore, excluded themselves from gambling within the territory of Denmark, will also be excluded from betting at brick-and-mortar betting locations once the October 1 identification system has officially launched.
The system’s launch is expected to limit anonymous betting and further aid Danish authorities in the prevention of underage gambling, i.e., illegal gambling committed by Danish individuals aged 17 or younger. According to the regulatory body, the system will also assist Denmark’s regulators in cracking down on money laundering. Another key issue that the cards will address is match-fixing.
The Legal Framework Surrounding Danish Gambling Has Undergone Multiple Changes
The player card system is not the first major update to be introduced to Denmark’s sports betting landscape. The year 2000 saw the establishment of the Danish Gambling Authority, and gambling at the time was essentially limited to Danske Spil, which operated as a monopoly. This changed with the passing of the Gambling Act in 2010 and its official implementation in 2012, when Denmark switched from its monopoly model to a system where numerous operators would be allowed to obtain a license and offer most forms of gambling within Denmark. Since then, Denmark’s authorities have implemented various amendments to the legislation that concerns gambling and sports betting.
A notable amendment was the one passed in 2018 when various types of gambling that used to still be limited to the monopoly were legalized for other operators. This included betting on horse, dog, and pigeon racing events. Lotteries remain at the sole discretion of Danske Lotteri Spil to this day, however.
In the year following the 2018 amendment, the card identification system was approved by the government. The system saw further support from all of the country’s major political parties in 2021, and this included members of the Social Democrats, along with political figures belonging to the opposition.