Denmark has reported that its regulated gambling market contracted slightly in 2025, with total gross gaming revenue declining by 1% from the prior year to DKK 11.5 billion.
However, the latest annual report from the Danish Gambling Authority reveals that the market is undergoing a significant structural transformation, with online gambling accounting for nearly three-quarters of all activity.
The report shows that online casinos continued their impressive growth, which essentially compensated for the declines seen across nearly every major land-based gambling segment.
Revenue from online casinos jumped by 12.1% to DKK 4.31 billion, making it the largest gambling vertical in Denmark with 38% of the total market share. At the same time, sports betting revenue declined by 11.5% to DKK 2.13 billion, while gaming machines fell 6.8% and land-based casinos dropped 5.6%.
Monopoly lotteries also continued their long-term decline, recording a 6.2% decrease to DKK 3.49 billion. Overall, the Danish gambling market generated DKK 116 million less in gross proceeds than in 2024.
iGaming Dominates the Market
According to the Danish Gambling Authority, 73% of all gambling revenue now comes from online gambling, compared with just 33% in 2012. Apart from a temporary interruption during the post-pandemic period, the online share has increased almost every year since the legalisation of the market.
Unsurprisingly, the growth was driven largely by online casinos, whose revenue has risen from DKK 1.8 billion in 2012 to more than DKK 4.3 billion in 2025, representing a 139% increase over the period.
Mobile devices have become the preferred way to gamble online, as in 2025, smartphones and tablets accounted for 69% of iGaming proceeds and 71% of betting revenue. At the same time, desktop computers continued to lose players.
The report notes that the shift reflects broader technological changes that have made gambling increasingly accessible through mobile devices.
Traditional Gambling Loses Momentum
While digital gambling expanded, most retail gambling sectors recorded another year of decline.
Sports betting experienced the sharpest fall, with revenue dropping from DKK 2.41 billion to DKK 2.13 billion. Nevertheless, betting remained Denmark's third-largest gambling market, accounting for 19% of total gambling revenue.
Gaming machines generated DKK 1.18 billion, continuing a decline that has seen the sector shrink by more than 60% since 2012. The report shows that four-fifths of gaming machine revenue now comes from dedicated gaming halls rather than restaurants.
Land-based casinos also remained under pressure, generating DKK 378 million during the year. Since market liberalisation, casino revenue has fallen by 35%, with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the long-term downward trend.
Meanwhile, monopoly lotteries generated DKK 3.49 billion, down from DKK 3.72 billion in 2024. Lottery products still accounted for 30% of the overall market, although their share has steadily declined over the past decade as online gambling has expanded.
Danes Spent Less on Gambling
Despite the continued popularity of online gambling, Danish consumers actually spent less on gambling overall.
Average gambling expenditure per adult fell to DKK 2,356 in 2025, down DKK 62 from the previous year and almost 15% lower than in 2012 after adjusting for inflation and economic growth.
The report also notes that the overall market has remained relatively stable over the past several years despite significant changes in consumer behaviour and gambling preferences.
Record Number of Danes Join Self-Exclusion
The report also highlights the growing use of Denmark's responsible gambling tools.
By the end of 2025, 68,026 people had registered with ROFUS, which is Denmark’s national self-exclusion register. It was a concerning increase of more than 12,000 people in just one year.
It was reported that nearly 79% of registered users were men, while 69% were under the age of 40. The majority, or 65%, went for permanent self-exclusion rather than temporary bans.
The authority notes that registrations have increased every year since ROFUS was introduced alongside market opening in 2012.
Helpline Sees Its Busiest Year
As per the Danish Gambling Authority, its gambling helpline, StopSpillet, received 727 enquiries during 2025, making it the second-highest annual total since the service launched in 2019 and substantially above the 544 enquiries recorded in 2024.
More than half of all contacts came directly from gamblers, while 40% came from relatives seeking advice.
Online gambling remained the dominant problem reported by callers, accounting for 62% of identified problem gambling activities, while online sports betting followed at 22%. The report also found that 45% of gamblers contacting the helpline said they had begun gambling before reaching the age of 18.
Recap of Licenses
The Danish Gambling Authority issued or maintained 1,970 gambling licences during 2025.
One of the year's most significant regulatory developments was the liberalisation of land-based bingo, allowing commercial bingo operators to enter the market from 1 January 2025. Twelve licences were issued during the first year of the new regime.
The authority also implemented a new three-tier licensing system for charitable lotteries, replacing the previous framework.
Meanwhile, the regulated online market continued to expand, with 41 online casino licences and 27 betting licences active during the year, alongside 277 licences for gaming machine operators.
Regulator Committed to Continued Monitoring
The report also notes that the Danish Gambling Authority is continuing work on measuring the market's channelisation rate, the proportion of online gambling taking place with licensed operators, which has been omitted from this year's publication while data are being reviewed.
Denmark's gambling market has mainly remained the same, but the 2025 figures underline how dramatically its composition has evolved. Online casinos continue to strengthen their position as the market’s dominant segment, while land-based gambling and traditional lottery products continue to decline.
At the same time, record levels of self-exclusion and increasing demand for gambling support services suggest that responsible gambling remains an important focus as more consumers switch to online platforms.
