Denmark opens applications for land-based casino licences
The Danish Gambling Authority has announced that it is opening applications for land-based casino licences. It stated that all interested parties must submit their applications by the deadline of 3 November 2026.
“All applications received will be sent for consultation to the local municipality, the local Chief of Police, the Ministry of Taxation, the Ministry of Business, and, where relevant, the Danish Maritime Authority,” it stated.
Denmark calls for new round of land-based casino licence applications
In its statement announcing the call for applications, the Danish Gambling Authority said that licences for land-based casinos are issued for periods of up to 10 years at a time as per Danish gambling laws.
It was noted that there are currently 7 active licences for land-based casinos in Denmark, with those casinos located in Copenhagen, Helsingør, Odense, Vejle, Aarhus, and Aalborg.
Detailing its criteria when deciding whether a licence shall be granted, the Danish Gambling Authority stated that it places particular emphasis on whether the applicant can be assumed to operate the land-based casino in a “fully professionally and financially responsible manner”.
Going over several factors, it said that it particularly considers the professional suitability of the candidate, “including whether the applicant has experience with offering gambling or is otherwise qualified to operate a land-based casino,” as well as the financial soundness of the candidate, “including whether the applicant has sufficient liquidity, as operating a land-based casino involves significant expenses”.
Additionally, it said that it takes geographical considerations into account, as well as the potential or existing customer base of the operator and casino, as well as looking at detailed project descriptions for the casino.
Denmark’s market trends
The Danish Gambling Authority’s 2025 annual report clearly indicates that the online market is considerably larger than the land-based casino market, a trend not uncommon across the global iGaming industry, as digitalisation and innovation in online markets continue to drive growth.
A look at the gross gaming revenue (GGR) of different sectors of the Danish gambling market shows that, from January 2026 to May 2026, land-based casinos had a GGR of €154 million, up from €145 million during the same period in 2025. According to the 2025 annual gambling market report, land-based casinos accounted for 3 per cent of the total Danish gambling market, whilst online casinos accounted for 38 per cent.
In the report, the Danish Gambling Authority stated that the share of GGR coming from online gambling had increased each year since 2012, apart from 2022. It added that the land-based GGR has fallen since 2012, meaning that the rise in GGR, “which characterises the development in the Danish gambling market, is therefore driven by the rise in online gambling”.
That said, despite what certain trends indicate, the Danish national regulator has called for a new round of land-based casino applications, which could itself be an indication of the regulator’s intent to push for or strengthen expansion in the land-based market, though it is yet to be seen how much interest the call for applications is to garner.
Stay ahead of iGaming’s biggest stories with SiGMA’s Top 10 News countdown. The world’s biggest iGaming community brings you weekly insights and subscriber-only offers. Join HERE today.
