As Denmark is in the midst of a regulatory change, the latest numbers from the Danish Gambling Authority indicate a major shift in player trends across the country.
Quite significantly, October this year saw sports betting numbers dip heavily despite online casino engagement rising by virtually 25%.
Although largely salvaged by online casino, the numbers were also boosted by land-based casino engagement growth, which also elevated by 6% signalling a growing sector within the Nordic region.
It also underpins significant fluctuations within overall betting engagement, which shifts up and down year-on-year.
Nonetheless, the growth of casino and the seeming shift from sportsbook to online casino comes amidst sweeping reforms within the country.
The figures may well raise concern for the industry, with the country on the cusp of implementing a whistle-to-whistle ban on sports betting advertising – a move that may well accelerate the shift.
As lawmakers continue to laser in on the sports betting sector – the pressure will mount to dwindle the growth of a thriving online casino sector.
The growth of online casino has continued as a trend throughout the second half of the year, with it rising as much as 40% in May.
The structural shift has the potential to accelerate as sports betting advertising tightens. That being said, there is also elevated stringency around compliance and the distribution of bonuses, which could have an impact on the rise of online casino.
The varying numbers across verticals are also accompanied by a concerning rise in Danish players registering with ROFUS, the national self-exclusion scheme.
Regulators have previously emphasised that the elevation indicates both growing awareness of the programme and deepening concerns over the ease of access to high-risk products, particularly online slots.
As iGaming engagement is rising, there has been key success for Denmark in channelisation rates – with 2024 seeing around 8% of players in the country drifting to the black market.
Regulators will have a keen eye to ensure that the channelisation rates to the regulated market remain high, specifically as players increase their engagement in slots and iGaming.
Nonetheless, 2024 saw the highest number of blocked black market sites in the country, underlining that the threat of illicit sites continues to lurk amidst increasing regulation.
Whether this is a trend across the Nordics remains to be seen, yet an upcoming study is seeking to shed light on this.
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have all united in a bid to launch the joint research project on gambling, gathering comparable knowledge about gambling habits and gambling problems in the region.
It marks a key move from the Nordic countries as they seek to learn lessons from each other in a bid to strengthen each market’s understanding of gambling habits and subsequently bolster player safeguards.
Approximately 30,000 randomly selected people, aged 18 to 80, from each country will participate in the study across the Nordic region, with invitations sent by post and reminders sent via Kivra.
