Denmark: gambling revenue falls 19.2% in H1

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic saw land-based and sports contributions plummet. 

Denmark.- The Danish Gaming Authority, Spillemyndigheden, has published first-half results showing a steep drop in gambling revenue due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on land-based and sports betting verticals.

Total revenue from the regulated market for the six months ending June 30 fell 19.2 per cent year-on-year to DKK2.70billion (€362.6million). Revenue for the second quarter alone fell 32.8 per cent to DKK1.16billion.

Danske Spil’s land-based casinos and gaming machines business saw the biggest drops.

Casino revenue more than halved in H1, falling to DKK82million while gaming machines revenue fared little better, dropping 46.6 per cent to DKK382million.

Sports betting revenue fell 19.6% to DKK1.01billion due to the suspension of sporting events owing to the pandemic.

The only vertical to avoid disruption caused by the pandemic was online casino gaming, which grew 2.8 per cent to DKK1.23billion for H1.

Online casino came to contribute the largest share of revenue in Q2, growing 6.2 per cent compared to Q2 2019, but the growth rate actually marks a slowing down compared with growth seen in the previous two years.

Spillemyndigheden gave significant promotion to national self-exclusion scheme Register Over Frivilligt Udelukkede Spillere (Rofus) and helpline StopSpillet, particularly at the start of the pandemic.

It said 23,469 people had now used Rofus as of the end of H1, with 68.1% permanently excluding themselves from gambling. 

Denmark this month introduced new rules restricting the placement of gambling promotion for sports teams.