Danish slots inspections led to 255 police reports in three years

The regulator Spillemyndigheden made 4,000 inspections and filed 255 police reports.

Denmark.- The Danish gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden has reported that between 2019 and 2021, it made more than 4,000 inspections of slot machines, which led to 255 police reports.

Spillemyndigheden monitors around 23,000 land-based slot machines in Denmark in order to detect illegal activity. These are located at 983 gaming halls and 1,277 restaurants across the country. 

The regulator carried out 1,511 basic venue inspections in 2021, up from 683 in 2020, when activity was restricted due to Covid-19 lockdowns. In 2019, the regulator had completed 1,829 inspections. Over the three years, inspections led to 255 cases being reported to the police: 46 in 2021, 83 in 2020 and 126 in 2019. 

Reasons for the police reports included allowing minors to use slot machines, a lack of staff in the gaming hall or the offer of games that were not covered by the operator’s licence.

As of this year, Denmark’s 300 or so slot machine operators must pay a fee of DKK678 (€91) for each terminal they operate. Restaurants and pubs can host up to three slot machines but gaming halls may host more. 

The operators must inform Spillemyndigheden how many machines they operate and thus how much they should pay to the regulator. Operators must also pay 41 per cent of gross gaming revenue to the Danish Tax Agency, plus a 30 per cent surcharge if gross gaming revenue exceeds a certain limit.

Denmark’s land-based gaming sector continues to show a recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In March, total gross gambling revenue was up almost 30 per cent year-on-year to DKK 525m (€70.6m).

According to figures from Spillemyndigheden, land-based gaming machines generated DKK 110m. Land-based casinos generated DKK 34m, the fourth-highest total on record and an increase from DKK 31m in February.

Earlier this month, Spillemyndigheden warned operators to remember that they must respect laws addressing customers subject to financial sanctions. 

Publishing a statement on its website, the regulator reminded operators that they’re “obliged” to comply with regulations prohibiting financial transactions with “individuals, groups, legal bodies or entities” in countries that have been listed for sanctions.