Denmark’s Top Online Gambling Sites

Denmark is known the world over for its progressive politics and laid-back way of living, so it should come as no surprise to learn that Denmark is home to an open online gambling market. To help make the search for your next gambling site easier, we’ve created this guide to the best gambling sites in Denmark. Find our list of the best Danish sites with top products and offers in 2024 below.

Scott Bowen, Editor at online-gambling.com

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Scott Bowen has been a casino expert and editor at online-gambling.com for a few years. He has professional experience in many gambling products, including roulette and blackjack, video poker, and sports betting.

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Legal Gambling Types in Denmark

Denmark’s gambling laws are clear and concise about what forms of gambling are legal, leaving very nothing open to interpretation. This is good news for gamblers, as it means that there’s no doubt about what gambling activity types can be enjoyed. These available gaming options include land-based and online casino gambling, sports betting, poker, lottery, and daily fantasy sports.

Online Casino

The Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) defines online casinos as websites which host real money gambling on games such as slots, roulette, blackjack, poker, bingo and baccarat, among other games. In the eyes of the DGA, online casino gambling is completely legal as long as gamblers bet with licensed websites. There are several international operators that cater to Danish players, offering the most high-quality slots and table games from the best software developers. The DGA has very high standards about the minimum fairness ratings of online casinos, so you can be sure that licensed sites will offer reasonable payouts. If you’re looking for a great bonus at a top online casino, we recommend you claim the offer below.

Sports Betting

There are around 20 licensed Danish sportsbooks catering to Denmark’s bettors, and according to local stats, they do good business. In fact, sports betting brings in roughly DKK 2.5 billion (€340 million) in gross gaming revenues every year, with football and handball being the biggest earners for the industry. The best Danish sportsbooks are built with the most cutting-edge software, ensuring that players have access to the latest features as they’re released. Popular recent developments include the offering of e-Sports markets and wider use of live streaming and live betting. Find these features along with competitive odds at our recommended sports betting site below.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Denmark is one of only a handful of European countries to create legislation that directly addresses the legality of Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). Recent years have seen an interest in DFS steadily increase in Denmark, bolstered by the country’s proactive participation in sports such as football and handball. Daily Fantasy Sports competitions are similar to sports betting, though participants are required to draft fantasy sports teams from one particular league. Contestants earn points based on the performance of drafted players in real life, and top-scoring contestants win cash prizes. There are plenty of local and international sports leagues open for DFS competitions in Denmark, and you can find some of the best at our top DFS offer below.

Online Poker

Despite the commercial market only being legal for less than a decade, Denmark’s online poker scene has already created a slew of top players. The country is home to several World Series of Poker bracelet holders, many of whom are active on online poker sites. Danish players are able to play online single cash games and tournaments against a huge pool of international players. Popular games include Omaha and Stud, though Texas Hold’em still reigns supreme as Denmark’s favourite poker game. There are several reputable and legal online poker sites available to Danish players, though if you’re looking for the best games and welcome offer, sign up to our recommended site below.

Online Lottery

The lottery is a beloved pastime in Denmark, with 75 per cent of Danish adults admitting to playing the lottery at least once in their lives. While there are several state-run lotto options that host daily and weekly draws, some players may be looking for bigger games with bigger jackpot prizes. Fortunately, a number of lottery websites accept Danish players, allowing locals to participate in draws from countries as varied as France, the USA, and Australia. Whether it’s KENO, national draw games, or digital scratch cards that you’re after, you can find a huge range of lotto options at the top Danish lotto sites.

A Danish Guide: How to Choose the Best Gambling Sites

Although our recommendations are based on extensive research and a strict grading process, we don’t just want you to take our word for it. In the upcoming sections, we’ve explained the different categories we have considered to decide what sites are the best. We’ve covered the most important topics ranging from safety and security and the games selection to website fairness and software. With this information, you’ll be able to learn how to verify what makes a top site and what should be avoided. Feel free to jump to a section that interests you most, or keep scrolling through to learn it all. You won’t regret it.

Safety, Security & Licensing in Denmark

It is against the law for operators to offer gambling activities to Danish players without first being granted a licence by the Spillemyndigheden, or Danish Gambling Authority (DGA). A major reason for this is that it ensures that there is an oversight on the safety and security of sites that are offered. Unfortunately, there are untrustworthy sites out there that seek to scam players with unfair games or offer little technical protection on players’ financial accounts. For this reason, a license is the best way to guarantee that you will be safe at a gambling site and that you will always receive your payouts. We have listed some well-known gambling safety and security organizations below that regularly co-operate with Danish gaming operators.

The Games and Betting Options Available

When you think of what makes a great online gambling site, what do you think about? For most players, the answer will be the games selection and betting options. It’s no wonder why, as the most fun thing about playing online is the actual products themselves. But not all gambling websites are created equally when it comes to the quality of the games, bets and poker rooms that are available. Therefore, it’s essential to do a quick product check before you rush to claiming a welcome bonus.

When you’re reviewing a casino games selection, check that there are several top developers stocked in the catalogues and that your favourite games are included. The more games diversity, the longer you will enjoy yourself at the site. The same goes for sports bettings sites — make sure that your favourite sports markets are available, and that the betting options you know, understand, and enjoy are available. If you’re not satisfied, move on. There’s plenty of other great sites out there that will offer just what you’re looking for.

The Most Popular Danish Real Money Online Gambling Games

Denmark has an extremely transparent online gambling industry in that the Danish Gaming Authority regularly releases statistics about the most popular online gambling games. Recent figures show that the majority of online casino gamblers prefer single-player games such as slots and table games over multiplayer games such as live casino, bingo and online poker. Online slots are the most popular games, making up roughly 65 per cent of all online casino revenues. Sports betting is also hugely popular, with the highest-revenue activities being major football events such as the World Cup. Overall, the payouts on all online gambling activities hovers around 95 per cent. Below, you can find a breakdown of the return to player rates of popular online gambling activities.

Top New Player Bonuses for Danish Gambling Sites

When you sign up to a new Danish gambling site, it may be worth taking advantage of a new player bonus. These bonuses tend to be triggered after making a minimum first deposit and vary differently from site to site. For the online casino, common bonuses include free spins on slots and bonus gambling funds. Sports betting sites frequently offer free bets, risk-free first-time bets, or odds boosts. An important thing to remember, though, is that bonuses are not free money. They will always come with terms and conditions that must be met before they can be withdrawn as winnings. Nevertheless, here are some of the best new players bonuses available at Danish sites.

Average Payout Rates for Danish Gambling Sites

With the number of options to choose from, there is no reason to gamble at an unfair gambling site. However, what many players don’t realise is that there’s a simple method to check how fair online casinos and sportsbooks are before making deposits. In Denmark, gambling sites must prove to regulators that the products meet minimum fairness tests. These tests are carried about by independent testing agencies such as eCOGRA, who verify the average payout rates of all the products on the site. The higher this rate, the fairer the gambling site. You can find some of the verified payout rates of Denmark’s top gambling sites below.

Available Payment Methods

Another simple check that is well worth your time is verifying the payment methods that a website accepts for deposits and withdrawals. If a site accepts major, reputable methods such as MasterCard or PayPal, it indicates that the site and its software is trusted by companies that take cyber-safety extremely seriously. Aside from the security implications, it also proves that gambling sites are committed to facilitating a wider pool of players. Ideally, sites will accept e-Wallets, credit cards, and bank transfer options. Each option has its own pros and cons, such as differing transaction times, fees and minimums. Below are several commonly accepted payment methods at Danish gambling sites.

1. e-Wallets:
   1. PayPal
   2. Neteller
   3. ecoPayz
   4. Skrill
2. Credit/Debit Cards:
   1. Mastercard
   2. VISA 
3. Bank Transfers:
   1. Instant Banking
   2. Bank Transfer
   3. Wire Transfer
4. Other:
   1. Bitcoin
   2. Paysafecard
   3. ApplePay
   4. Google Pay
   5. Trustly

Mobile Gambling Apps

There is little doubt that mobile gambling is set to dominate the market in Denmark. Recent statistics have shown that roughly 30 per cent of all online casino revenues were generated through mobile platforms, whereas 50 per cent of all sports bets, land-based and online, were generated on mobile. For this reason, it’s essential for websites to offer a fast, reliable, convenient, and well-designed mobile platform that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. Danish gambling apps tend to provide a comprehensive offering of all desktop gaming options, so players don’t have to sacrifice their favourite games or features when playing on the go. Below, you can find details for our recommended gambling sites mobile apps.

Reliable, Fair Gambling Software

Have you ever noticed that your favourite online slots or table games share similar aesthetics, betting options, or payout mechanics? It’s likely that these were created by the same software developers. Different developers are known for different things, and there are several providers that are essentials for online casinos to stock in their catalogues. What these developers do share, though, are reputations for fairness and reliability. This is why it’s important that your chosen gambling site has been built with, or utilizes, the best names in gaming software. Below, we’ve listed some of the best-quality gambling software companies in the world, all of which power some of Denmark’s premium gambling sites.

Denmark’s Gambling Laws

Denmark’s gambling industry is mandated by the Danish Gambling Act of 2010, which was passed with the intention to modernize and liberalize the industry. Before that, most of Denmark’s gambling market was offered by state-run gambling operators. In particular, the new laws addressed the legalization of online gambling and opened avenues for new operators to earn government licenses. Another major intention of the law was to add extra protection for vulnerable players by setting fairness standards. According to the law, land-based and online casino gambling are legal, as is sports betting, bingo, the lottery, daily fantasy sports and horse and dog racing. The market is run by the Danish Gambling Authority.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Denmark?

Although there have been legal forms of online gambling since the early 2000s in Denmark, the market wasn’t open for outside operators until the passing of the Gambling Act. Operators are now able to apply for either online casino or sports betting licenses, and it is possible for operators to hold both licenses. Online gambling is legal in Denmark as long as bettors bet with licensed websites.

Are There Land-Based Gambling Options in Denmark?

There are eight land-based casinos in Denmark, most of which are owned by commercial groups that have earned licenses from the DGA. Denmark also provides opportunities for commercial operators to establish land-based sports betting parlours, and there are plenty of locations across the country. At the moment, the state-owned Danske Lotterie Spil is the only operator that is licensed to run the lottery in the country. It is also the only license-holder that is allowed to accept bets on horse races and dog races. That being said, there are still several other major Danish companies that are involved with the online and land-based gambling industry, several of which we’ve listed below.

Official Regulatory Body

The Danish Gambling Authority is the official regulator of land-based gambling in Denmark. It was established in 2000 and operates within the Ministry of Taxation. The regulator plays a major role in the administration of gambling legislation, as well as issuing licences and supervising gambling operators. Over the course of its history, its role in the gaming industry has evolved, and it is now heavily involved in co-operating with other international gaming regulators to create a safe, fair, and principled European gaming industry. The one-hundred-plus team at the DGA is headed by Director Anders Dorph and has offices in Odense, Jutland, and Copenhagen.

Is Gambling Taxed in Denmark?

There are different tax tiers that apply to Denmark’s gaming operators depending on the nature of the activity offered and whether it is a land-based or online operation. These varying tax rates apply to;

If players have been gambling at licensed gambling sites, winnings are not taxed at all. However, if the player chooses to be with non-licensed gambling sites, these winnings will be taxed as personal income. This provides further incentive for gamblers to gamble at locally-licensed sites.

Legal Gambling Age

There are several provisions that relate to minimum ages in the Danish Gambling Act of 2010. Broadly put, players must be over 18 years old to enter and play at land-based and online casinos. Players must be over 18 to play on slot machines and in slot arcades. Similarly, sports betting is also restricted to those over 18 years old. The only exception to this rule is the land-based lottery, which allows anyone over 16 years old to purchase a ticket and participate.

Advertising Laws

The Danish Gaming Authority has clear guidelines on what kinds of gambling marketing are expected in the country. According to the Danish Gambling Act, gambling marketing;

Additionally, when gambling sites market bonus offers, the terms and conditions must be presented in a clear and easy-to-understand manner along with the offer. This means that restrictions and wagering requirements must be stated clearly.

Penalties for Illegal Gambling

The Danish Gambling Authority takes gambling-related crimes very clearly, and within the gaming act, clearly defines what constitutes a crime. These include offences such as offering gaming without a license, allowing underage gambling, cheating and creating pyramid schemes. The laws also outline the punishments for these crimes, though the law leaves room for some interpretation. For example, rather than applying a blanket fine to each offence, financial penalties are calculated on a case-by-case basis by the Danish Gaming Authority. Additionally, while most offences come with up to 6 months of jail time as a punishment, the act leaves room for up to one-year imprisonment if crimes are deemed to be excessive.

Announced Regulation Changes

Denmark frequently updates its gambling laws to address the needs of the market, so there are always changes to be expected. In 2020 alone, Denmark introduced rules that all players must set mandatory deposit limits each month. It also mandated that self-exclusion must be an automated process that could be made directly through casino sites. In 2021, online gambling revenue taxes rised by 8 per cent , so that operators need to pay 28 per cent on gross gaming revenues. The justification for this was that the taxes would help to assist in the market’s regulation and provide additionally funding for problem gambling treatment.

Responsible Gambling Advocacy

Denmark takes the safety of its gamblers extremely seriously, and there are several state-run and private organizations that exist to help support players that may be struggling with compulsive gambling habits. In 2020, the DGA required licensed sites to integrate its ROFUS self-exclusion program so that players can readily exclude themselves from gambling sites. The DGA also runs StopSpillet, or Stop Gambling, a helpline for problem gamblers, their relatives, and mental health professionals to aid in reducing the harms of gambling addiction. We have listed the websites for these programs and other organizations that offer support to players looking to change their gambling behaviours.

Interesting Facts About Online Gambling in Denmark

Denmark is second behind Sweden in the share of users online gambling use out of all European countries. As of 2021, 59 percent of Denmark’s gambling spending is online. In recent years, mobile gambling has become the preferred method of online gambling in Denmark. When the online gambling market was liberalized in 2012, only 11 per cent of online gambling was done through mobiles. In 2019, this rose to 61 per cent of all gambling. In the same period, gross gaming revenues grew from DKK 7.8 billion to DKK 9.8 billion, which is roughly 25 per cent growth.

History of Danish Gambling

Denmark’s gambling history is not so much dotted with major landmark events that signalled new eras of legalization, rather the country gradually accepted changes alongside the expansion of global gaming. It’s earliest lotteries were established by royalty or the government in order to raise funds for various causes. It wasn’t until 1948 that Danske Spil, a state-run gambling monopoly, was established to run the country’s first national lottery. Over time, slot machines became prevalent throughout gaming arcades and restaurants, though it wasn’t until the 1990s that the first land-based casinos opened. At the same time, online gambling sites first appeared on the market, and the Danish Gambling Authority was created to address the growing industry. The largest change to Denmark’s gambling industry was the passing of the Danish Gambling Act in 2012, which is routinely updated to this day in response to the shifting market.

The Best Land-Based Casino and Gambling Resorts

Denmark is home to eight land-based casinos that are located in the most populated cities in the country. Copenhagen is the only city to have two casinos, with the largest casino in the country called the Casino Copenhagen. The Casino Copenhagen has 140 gaming machines and 28 table games spread over 16,140 square feet of gaming space. The Casino is most notable for being the epicentre of Denmark’s land-based poker scene, with regular Poker, No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em and Omaha games and tournaments hosted here. The casino is also located in a large hotel complex and offers entertainment and dining options. Other well-known casinos are the Casino Odense and Casino Munkebjerg, both of which are situated within hotels.

Famous Danish Poker Players

Denmark made a huge splash during the poker book of the early 2000s, with several of the most famous and successful players of time hailing from Denmark. The most well-known of these players is Gus Hansen, whose loose and aggressive gaming style earned him the moniker ‘The Great Dane.’ In addition to winning the WSOP Europe heads-up event, Hansen has earned more than $10 million in poker winnings. Another top Danish poker talent is Peter Eastgate, who in 2002 broke the record for being the youngest World Series of Poker Main Event title champion. He was only 22. You can find a more rounded list of the most famous Danish poker players below.

Gambling in Danish Pop Culture

While Denmark has a rich film, television, and art culture, gambling isn’t a well-covered topic in local pop culture. For the most part, any films or shows made about Danish gambling tend to focus on poker, and in particular, Gus Hansen’s success in the early 2000s. You can find details for several of these books, films, and movies below.

Should I Gamble Online or at Land-Based Casinos and Sportsbooks in Denmark?

There are pros and cons to gambling at online sites over land-based retailers. The pros include the fact that online gambling sites are by far the most convenient way to gamble. There’s a good reason why most Danish gamblers choose to play online, with welcome bonuses, the huge games selection, and more enhanced betting features being among them. However, while online live casinos are immersive, they won’t ever be able to match the thrill of a land-based casino visit. Although Denmark doesn’t offer value perks such as free drinks services, some still offer gaming in beautiful settings. The poker tournaments at the Casino Copenhagen are also a must-visit event.

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