EC Gets Denmark to Open Online Gambling Market

The Copenhagen Post is reporting that the Danish government will announce deregulation this week, submitting to pressure from the EU to comply with open trade in services including online gambling.

In a significant victory, the European Commission has persuaded Denmark to end its state monopoly and open its borders to foreign Internet casinos. The Copenhagen Post is reporting that the Danish government will announce deregulation this week, submitting to pressure from the EU to comply with open trade in services including online gambling.

Danske Spil, the national gaming organization that has monopolized gambling in Denmark for sixty years, will lose its exclusive rights in all areas except lottery and scratch-off games, the article said.

With the opening of the market, outside gaming operators will be able to advertise and legally conduct gambling operations. Licenses will be sold to acquire legal status, and Internet gambling sites will be required to take precautions against problem gambling.

European gaming observer Horst Knutsson says,"The Danish opening shows that the EC can get countries to comply. We can expect to see more EU member nations honoring their commitments to free and open trade, and revenues previously being lost to unregulated online casinos will now help national treasuries."

The national Danish expenditure last year on gambling approached $2 billion dollars. The country's take of that was almost $500 million.