Study Reveals Alarming Gambling Trends Among Danish Youth

A recent study conducted by the Danish gambling regulator, Spillemyndigheden, has revealed that 15% of individuals aged 15 to 17 in Denmark have participated in gambling activities, despite the legal age for gambling being 18. This percentage represents approximately 32,000 young people.

The study further indicated that out of those who admitted to gambling, 68% did so by placing bets, with 42% playing online casino games, 21% participating in lotteries and scratchcards, and 4% engaging in other forms of gambling.

Surprisingly, the research also found that 35% of young people played on websites offering skin betting, even though there are no licensed sites for this activity in Denmark.

Additionally, Spillemyndigheden reported an increase in calls from individuals under the age of 18 to its gambling helpline, StopSpillet. Approximately 4% of the calls received were from minors. Furthermore, the study revealed that 88% of these calls claimed to have placed their first bet before turning 18.

The study also examined the prevalence of gambling in other age groups. The age group with the highest percentage of gamblers was the 40 to 49 group, with 30% admitting to gambling. This was followed by 26% for the 18-24 age group, 27% for the 50-59 age group, 24% for the 30-39 age group, 22% for the 25-29 age group, 19% for the 60-69 age group, and 10% for individuals over 70 years old. The data was collected through a questionnaire distributed to a random selection of players aged 15 and above.

In recent news, Denmark's gambling self-exclusion system, ROFUS, has been expanded to include retail betting in addition to land-based casinos and online gambling. This expansion was made possible by new regulations that require the use of ID cards for retail betting. Individuals already registered on the system must re-register to be covered by the extended exclusion.

The Ministry of Taxation has also proposed amendments to Denmark's Gambling Act, granting more powers to Spillemyndigheden. These amendments would allow the regulator to obtain necessary information and confidentially exchange information to combat match-fixing. The ministry also suggests that the regulator should have the authority to issue sanctions, including injunctions, and revoke licenses of gambling operators found to violate sports integrity rules. Furthermore, the regulator would have enhanced capabilities to process and analyze gambling data, utilizing a unique player ID for monitoring match-fixing and money laundering risks.

To fund these new powers, the Ministry of Taxation proposes changes to fees for slot machines, where licensees would be charged based on taxable gambling income rather than per machine. Additionally, the introduction of a new license for B2B suppliers is being considered.