According to the Danish Gambling Authority, betting revenue in Denmark decreased by 3.7% to DKK567m ($80.6m/£65.7m/€76.2m) compared to the previous year. Online gaming revenue also dropped by 2.5% to DKK702m. This decrease is surprising as these two segments have experienced the most growth since the market was liberalised.
However, overall gaming revenue saw a significant increase of 20.3% year-on-year, reaching DKK1.57bn. This growth can be attributed to the return of land-based gaming, which was closed in the corresponding quarter of 2021. Slot machine play accounted for DKK241m in 2022, while land-based casino, the smallest segment in Danish gambling, generated DKK65m. Casinos and gaming halls were closed during the first three months of 2021 but only in January 2022.
Denmark’s total gross gaming revenue experienced a 29.6% year-on-year increase, reaching DKK9.6bn in 2021. Lotteries were the largest segment, amounting to DKK3.4bn and contributing 35% to the total revenue. However, lottery figures for Q1 2022 have not been released. Online casino revenue for 2021 stood at DKK2.81bn, accounting for 29% of the market, while betting represented DKK2.42bn (25% of the market). Slots and land-based casino accounted for the remaining 10%, with a value of DKK1.0bn.
Danske Spil, a Danish lottery and gaming operator, reported a gross gaming revenue of DKK4.83bn in 2021, indicating a 1.9% increase from the previous year. The majority of this revenue, DKK2.79bn, came from lottery operations, while Danske Licens Spil, which offers licensed products like sports betting and gaming, contributed DKK1.82bn. In 2021, the Danish government announced its plans to merge Danske Spil with the Danish Class Lottery (Danske Klasselotteri).
