Denmark Proposes Tighter Gambling Ad Rules, Live Sports Marketing Ban
Draft bill would restrict gambling marketing around live sports, outdoor ads and youth appeals, and impose duty-of-care and penalty changes.
Denmark has proposed tighter restrictions on gambling advertising in a draft bill scheduled for its first reading on October 22, 2026. Tax and Growth Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt introduced the legislation, which would ban gambling marketing during the 10 minutes before and after live sports broadcasts.
The proposed rules would also bar ads that portray gambling as entertainment, suggest it could change someone's life, feature anyone under 25, or appeal 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 allowed.
The bill would introduce a legal duty of care, requiring operators to monitor and intervene in problem gambling behaviour, keep internal records of responsible gambling procedures, educate staff and partners, and periodically assess their systems. Advertising compliance would extend to third parties such as influencers and affiliates. Physical 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, with a third potentially leading to licence suspension. Online operator penalties would be calculated as a proportion of gross gaming revenue. Regulator Spillemyndigheden would gain powers to block unlicensed intermediary websites targeting Denmark. The legislation is intended to take effect on January 1, 2027.
