Denmark plans compulsory ID for retail sports betting

A new “playing card” would be required for all sports betting in a bid to reduce money laundering risks.

Denmark.- The government has announced plans to introduce a mandatory “playing card” ID that gamblers would need to be able to place bets at kiosks and other retail venues. The card would be introduced from July 2022.

The compulsory ID is intended to reduce the risk of money laundering and match fixing, but the government said it would also help to protect minors and those with gambling problems.

The card would help to verify age and could be used to check if players have self-excluded or reached self-imposed betting limits.

All major political parties, including the governing Social Democrats and the opposition Liberal Party and Danish People’s Party, have backed the move. The card would only be needed for retail sports betting, not for lotto tickets or scratch cards.

Minister of Taxation Morten Bødskov said: “With the playing card, we will do away with the opportunity to play anonymously on, among other things, football matches. We are thus putting a stick in the wheel of the criminals who use this type of game as a means of, for example, laundering money.

“With the playing card, players must register, no matter how small amounts they play for, and data about their play will be analysed and reported to the authorities if it seems suspicious.”

He added: “There is a need to tighten the rules in the gaming area. Many Danes – especially young men – have problems with gambling, and this often has major consequences for themselves, their future and their families. That is why we have agreed with a broad majority of the parliamentary parties to launch a playing card. It is a targeted bet, as this is where the problems with gambling addiction are greatest.”

The Danish gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden reported that Danish gaming revenue reached DKK494m (€66.3m) in August, a drop of 18.2 per cent month-on-month and 1.2 per cent year-on-year. The regulator has also warned operators to respect regulations for the marketing of slots winnings.