Denmark approves bill to tighten gambling advertising from 2027

The Danish Government tabled a bill to tighten rules on gambling advertising and expand operators' diligence obligations; the first reading will be held on 22 October 2026 and the law would take effect on 1 January 2027. The text, proposed by the Minister for Taxation and Growth Jakob Engel-Schmidt, imposes restrictions on advertising content, permitted placements and the responsibilities of operators and marketing agents.

What changes for gambling advertising in Denmark

The initiative bans advertising that portrays gambling as entertainment or suggests it can change people’s lives. The bill also requires adverts not to use people under 25 years of age or target audiences under 18. These limits apply to bookmakers and to their marketing agencies and suppliers, who must review creatives, talent and campaign targeting.

The prohibition on representing gambling as a promise of social advancement or life improvement aims to curb aspirational messages in ads. The text sets two concrete content restrictions (talent age and message intent) and extends liability to third parties involved in promotion.

Placement restrictions and broadcast windows for sports coverage

The bill imposes physical and temporal limits on advertising. Outdoor advertising will be banned on public transport and must be placed at least 200 meters from educational institutions, including schools and universities. It also proposes to prohibit gambling advertising around live sports broadcasts: in the window 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after those events.

These measures affect outdoor media, sponsorships and commercial breaks in broadcasts; they require operators and sublicensees to review commercial agreements and media plans. The minimum distance to educational institutions and the public-transport ban demand changes in space purchases and brand signage.

Customer monitoring obligations and sanctions for retail premises

The bill increases the monitoring burden for customer behaviour. Operators must monitor risk signals to prevent the development of gambling problems; the text ties that monitoring to the duty of care placed on licensed companies.

For physical venues, bookmakers with retail premises are subject to a tiered sanctions regime: the first breach would carry an approximate fine of €8.000, the second €10.700, and after a third breach the licence for the establishment may be withdrawn. The bill does not detail the exact graduation criteria in the public text, but it fixes the amounts and licence removal as the maximum sanction for repeat offences.

New powers for the regulator

The bill grants expanded powers to the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden). Among other competencies, the authority will be able to block intermediary websites that are not authorised but direct activity at the Danish market. That blocking targets unlicensed intermediaries that facilitate access or promotions to players in Denmark.

The competence reinforcement sits within supervisory activity and the fight against unregulated supply. The law explicitly names Spillemyndigheden as the authority responsible for enforcing the bans and blocking measures.

Operational impact and compliance for operators and agencies

The package requires operators, marketing agencies and advertising-space owners to adapt internal processes. Areas affected include:

• review of creatives and talent contracts to ensure no one under 25 appears in advertising materials;

• audit of campaign targeting to avoid directing ads at under-18s;

• changes to outdoor space procurement to comply with the public-transport ban and the 200-metre distance from educational institutions;

• adjustments to broadcast planning and sports sponsorships to remove ads in the ±10-minute window around live coverage;

• design and implementation of customer-behaviour monitoring systems to detect risk signals.

For operators active across multiple channels, compliance requires coordination between legal, marketing and compliance teams. External agencies will likewise be responsible insofar as they act as marketing agents for licensed operators.

What comes next in the legislative process and practical considerations

The first reading scheduled for 22 October 2026 opens the parliamentary procedure; the proposed effective date is 1 January 2027. If Parliament approves the text without substantial changes, the obligations and fines cited will become enforceable from the stated date.

Operators should anticipate the need to amend contractual clauses with suppliers and review campaigns planned for late 2026. The strengthening of the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden)'s powers also suggests that supervisory actions and blocks of unlicensed sites could intensify from the effective date.

For sectoral analysis of how the changes affect advertising and compliance, consult the site's regulation section; the commercial implications for sports sponsorships and outdoor inventory connect with content in news and b2b.

“The bill was proposed by the Minister for Taxation and Growth Jakob Engel-Schmidt,” the legislative text states, placing the start of the parliamentary procedure on 22 October 2026. — Miguel Sandoval, Corresponsal de regulación