Starting today, all players in Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands are required to have a registered ID card to place bets at shops and kiosks. This can be obtained as a physical item or on a mobile app. The implementation of the Sikkert Spil system, which ensures safe play, has been expanded throughout these areas.
The purpose of this system is to prevent children and young people under the age of 18 from accessing gambling activities. Danske Licens Spil’s CEO, Niels Erik Folmann, stated that Sikkert Spil has undergone extensive development to provide a user-friendly experience for customers. With safer gaming being the largest accountability initiative in the gaming industry, dealers have been well-prepared to assist customers, following several hundred hours of work. The rollout of Sikkert Spil has been welcomed by customers, as they are eager to contribute to the creation of a safe gaming market.
In addition to protecting minors, the Sikkert Spil system also aims to prevent criminals from exploiting the gambling industry for purposes such as money laundering or sports manipulation. This is achieved by tracking all bets made across retail and online platforms. It is worth noting that Danske Spil is currently the only retail operator in Denmark with mandatory customer identification controls. Consequently, Folmann emphasized the need for anonymous play to be addressed by competitors as soon as possible. Enabling anonymous gambling allows criminals to go undetected and enables minors to participate in gambling activities.
The introduction of the Sikkert Spil system was announced in November 2019, and despite its potential impact on profits, Danske Spil considers it a worthwhile trade-off for protecting children and preventing money laundering.
