Online Casinos Overtake Lotteries in Denmark Gambling Market

COPENHAGEN: Online casinos became Denmark’s largest gambling segment in 2025, according to the country’s gambling regulator.

The shift highlights the continued move toward digital gambling, even as total regulated gambling revenue in Denmark slipped slightly from 2024.

The Spillemyndigheden 2025 market report said online casinos generated DKK4.31 billion in gross gambling revenue, known in Denmark as BSI. That represented 38% of the country’s gambling market.

Online Casinos Move Ahead of Lotteries

Total Danish gambling revenue reached DKK11.5 billion in 2025, down 1% from the previous year. The regulator said the figures were adjusted to 2026 price levels and aligned with Denmark’s gross domestic product measures.

Online casino revenue increased 12.1% year-on-year, rising by DKK465 million. Since Denmark’s partial gambling market liberalization in 2012, online casino revenue has grown 139%. Monopoly lotteries, including Lotto, Klasselotteriet and scratch tickets, generated DKK3.49 billion and accounted for 30% of the market. That was down 6.2% from 2024.

Other segments also declined. Sports betting revenue fell 11.5% to DKK2.13 billion, slot machine revenue dropped 6.8% to DKK1.18 billion, and land-based casino revenue fell 5.6% to DKK378 million. Land-based bingo, liberalized in 2025, generated DKK30 million and accounted for less than 1% of the market.

Mobile Play Drives Digital Growth

Online gambling accounted for 73% of total Danish gambling revenue in 2025, up from 70% in 2024 and 33% in 2012. Spillemyndigheden said the online share has generally increased since market liberalization, while land-based gambling revenue has fallen over the same period.

Mobile devices were the main driver of online gambling. In 2025, 73% of revenue from online casino and online betting came through mobile devices, compared with 11% in 2012.

Within online casino, mobile play accounted for 69% of revenue, the highest share recorded by the regulator. Online slots dominated the online casino segment, generating DKK3.54 billion and accounting for 82% of online casino revenue.

Roulette and blackjack each represented about 6% of online casino revenue. Roulette generated DKK246 million, while blackjack generated DKK267 million.

By the end of 2025, Spillemyndigheden had issued 1,970 gambling-related licenses or permits. Those included 41 online casino licenses, 27 betting licenses, 277 physical slot machine permits covering 23,172 machines, seven land-based casino licenses and 12 land-based bingo licenses.

ROFUS and Helpline Activity Increase

The report also pointed to continued responsible gambling pressure. Denmark’s self-exclusion register, ROFUS, had 68,026 registrations at the end of 2025, an increase of more than 12,000 from the end of 2024.

Men accounted for 79% of ROFUS registrations, while 69% of registered people were under 40. The regulator also said 144 people under 18 were registered, even though minors cannot legally gamble for money in Denmark.

The ROFUS figures add context to recent prevention messaging in Denmark. A newer Danish ROFUS campaign targets youth gambling, reflecting concern over early exposure to gambling and the need to make self-exclusion tools visible to younger audiences.

StopSpillet, Denmark’s national gambling helpline, received 727 enquiries in 2025. That was its busiest year since opening in 2019, when it received 728 enquiries.

Players made 57% of the 2025 enquiries, while relatives accounted for 40%. Among player callers, 45% said they began gambling before turning 18. Online casino was the most commonly cited problem gambling type, named in 62% of player enquiries, followed by online betting at 22%.

The Danish report shows a market where online casino growth is reshaping the revenue mix while responsible gambling indicators continue to rise. For regulators and operators, the figures underline how digital and mobile gambling now sit at the center of Denmark’s licensed market.

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