Following the new legislation introduced on 1 October 2023, the spending of the land-based betting market in Denmark decreased in October and November 2023 when compared to the same period of 2022. The new measure requiring players to identify themselves using a so-called Player ID when placing bets with land-based wagering facilities in Denmark coincides with the decline.

Player ID Requirement:

As reported, Player ID requirement became mandatory for all retail betting operators.  Since 1 October 2023, all players have been obliged to link their Player IDs with the respective accounts held with Danish operators. According to the source, the measure aims to enhance customer protection and ensure that juvenile persons do not get involved in the betting activities. But the betting handle across the retail betting facilities saw a decline already in October and November 2023 marking the first two months of the legislation’s effect.

40% Decline Over November and October 2023:

The state regulator Spillemyndigheden reportedly said: “In the first two months after the introduction of the Player ID, the spending on the land-based betting market was lower compared to before the introduction of the Player ID. However, it is too early to conclude whether the decrease is due to the Player ID.” But the regulator’s report shows that the betting handle in October and November 2023 reached a total of EUR 283 million. When compared to the same period of 2022, the value represents more than a 40% decline in bets placed via desktop, mobile, and retail betting operators.

Betting Trends:

In October and November 2023, more than 65% of bets were placed via mobile devices, around 17% via computers, and almost 18% of bets were placed in-person with land-based licensed operators. In the same period of 2022, the share of land-based operators was around 22.5% while computer bettors stood for around 13% of total bets. As the share of bets placed via mobile devices stood at around 65% in 2023 as well as in 2022, it seems that the Danish players made a shift in October and November of 2023 from land-based facilities to place bets via computers. Indeed, the 4% decline in 2023 land-based bets might have resulted in a 4% increase in 2023 computer bets, when compared to the same period of 2022, respectively.

Land-Based Decline:

The wagering handle in October and November of 2022 amounted to EUR 472 million, 40% above the 2023 figure for the same period. Land-based bets placed in October and November of 2022 contributed 22.5% or around EUR 106 million versus around EUR 48 million handled by Danish retail betting facilities in October and November 2023. It is early to make any connections between the new measure and the betting handle across Danish operators. Still, they handled around EUR 58 million less in land-based wagering facilities and around EUR 189 million less across all betting operations in the first two months of the new legislation to indicate the recent market trend coinciding with the Player ID mandatory requirement.