The Denmark gambling bill L 37, the government’s reform package, is due for first reading in the Folketing on 22 October 2026, according to TheGamblest. Jakob Engel-Schmidt, Minister for Taxation and Growth, tabled the bill on 7 October. Its rules would take effect in stages between 1 January and 1 October 2027.
The bill re-tables L 127, which lapsed at the general election, as TGE reported in its earlier coverage of L 37. It implements the political agreement of 24 October 2025 backed by ten parties. The text is published on the Folketing’s page for L 37.
Denmark gambling bill: phased start dates
The bill sets 1 January 2027 for the act as a whole. Individual parts follow later, according to the bill:
- 1 April 2027: the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden) can start processing applications for the new retailer permits.
- 1 July 2027: the advertising and responsible gambling rules start.
- 1 October 2027: the rules on retail venue operations and retailer approvals start.
Advertising rules
Gambling marketing would be banned during live sports broadcasts and for 10 minutes before and after them. Outdoor ads would be banned on public transport and within 200 metres of schools, universities and other educational institutions. No one under 25 could appear in gambling marketing, and ads could not appeal to under-18s.
Danish media reports say the bill also bars ads from presenting gambling as entertainment or as something that can change a person’s life. Sponsorship of sports clubs and physical venues stays legal. Affiliates and influencers would have to follow the same advertising restrictions. The full list of ad rules in the bill includes a ban on turnover-based affiliate pay.
Duty of care and fines
Licensed operators would have to monitor customer behaviour and step in when signs of problem gambling appear, according to Danish media reports. The same reports say operators would also have to document their responsible gambling procedures, train staff and business partners, and review their player protection systems on a regular basis.
TheGamblest reported fines for land-based venues of about €8,000 for a first violation and about €10,700 for a second, with the operating licence at risk after a third. The Danish figures in other reports are DKK 60,000 and DKK 80,000. Fines on online operators would be linked to their turnover, so the amount scales with company size.
Spillemyndigheden would also gain power to order blocking of unlicensed intermediary sites aimed at Danish players. TGE’s Denmark iGaming 2025 report covers the market these rules would apply to.
Next steps
After the first reading on 22 October, the bill goes to the Taxation Committee (Skatteudvalget), which takes written questions and submissions before the second and third readings. All three readings and royal assent have to finish before the 1 January 2027 start date.
Source: Folketinget
