New land-based casino licences available in Denmark
A window has opened for new land-based casino licence applications and renewals.
Denmark.- The Danish gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden has reopened its licensing process for land-based casinos. The move creates an opportunity for new operators to enter the market or for existing Danish casino licensees to renew their permits.
The window provides the first formal opportunity for new entrants to the Danish market this year. The licensing process is governed by the Consolidated Act No. 1182 of September 22 2025 on gambling, which authorises the regulator to issue permits valid for up to ten years. In a statement yesterday (August 3), the regulator said that applications must be submitted in full, including supporting documentation, no later than November 3, 2026.
Each submission will undergo consultation with several authorities, including the relevant municipality, local police chief, the Ministry of Taxation, and the Ministry of Business and Industry. The Danish Maritime Authority may also be involved when appropriate.
Applications will be assessed on: financial stability, ensuring operators can cover operational costs, industry experience, for which the regulator will want to see a proven track record in gambling operations, transparency in terms of company ownership, structure and senior management and geographical factors such as location relevance and target customer base.
Current Danish casino landscape
Denmark currently has seven licensed land-based casinos located in Copenhagen S, Copenhagen V, Helsingør, Odense, Vejle, Aalborg and Aarhus The reopening of the licensing window could reshape the market, either through expansion or changes in ownership.
By the close of 2025, Spillemyndigheden had issued 1,970 licences across all gambling categories. According to the regulator’s annual report on Danish gambling, land-based casinos saw a 5.6 per cent decline in gross gaming revenue (GGR) to DKK378m (€50.57m), representing 3 per cent of the overall gambling market.
In contrast, online casino revenue rose 12.1 per cent year-on-year to DKK4.31bn, overtaking lottery play as the biggest sector. The newly liberalised land-based bingo segment generated DKK30m.
The latest revenue figures highlight the ongoing shift in Denmark’s gambling landscape. Neighbouring Sweden has phased out land-based casinos, although its sector operated under the monopoly of state-owned Svenska Spel’s Casino Cosmopol brand. The last Casino Cosmopol closed in Copenhagen in April of last year.
