Denmark Blocked 334 Illegal Gambling Sites in 2025 as App Store Cooperation Expands

Denmark's gambling regulator, Spillemyndigheden (the Danish Gambling Authority), blocked 334 illegal gambling websites in 2025, a 70% increase from the 197 blocked in 2024, according to its annual Illegal Gambling Report published in July 2026. The Authority has strengthened its enforcement through a new cooperation agreement with Teleindustrien, the trade association for Danish internet service providers, enabling mirror and clone sites to be blocked without a new court order. Traffic data collected after enforcement actions showed a 34% reduction in Danish user visits to blocked gambling sites over the six months following DNS blocks compared with the prior period.

How Many Sites Were Blocked and Why the Number Rose

Spillemyndigheden investigated 695 websites in 2025, obtaining court orders to block 334, accounting for a roughly 106% increase on the 162 blocked in 2024. The regulator was clear that the increase in blocked sites does not necessarily indicate an expansion of the illegal market. "The increase in website blocking primarily resulted from stepped-up surveillance efforts, rather than an expansion of the illegal market itself," the Authority stated. Enforcement activity was particularly concentrated in June 2025, when the Frederiksberg court approved blocking 178 websites in a single ruling, the largest single court-approved enforcement action since DNS blocking began in Denmark in 2012. Among the 178 blocked sites, 76 appeared to be replica versions of the Verde Casino brand, illustrating how illegal operators use mirror networks to evade enforcement.

In total, Spillemyndigheden has now blocked 616 illegal gambling websites since the DNS blocking regime began in 2012. A further 36 websites removed or changed their gambling offerings following regulatory intervention, without requiring court action. The Authority submitted 197 blocking requests to courts in 2025, down from 214 in 2024, but each request increasingly covered multiple websites, reflecting more efficient enforcement of connected illegal operations.

App Store Cooperation: A New Enforcement Channel

A significant development in Denmark's 2025 enforcement activity is the expanded cooperation with major technology platforms to tackle illegal gambling promotion and distribution through mobile apps and social media. Spillemyndigheden cooperates with Google to report illegal gambling apps in Google Play for removal. It works with Apple on app store compliance, with Meta on Facebook and Instagram brand misuse reporting, and with Twitch on streaming platform enforcement. The Authority also participates in Enforcement Working Group of the Gaming Regulators European Forum for cross-border coordination.

The report highlights a growing threat from illegal gambling marketing shifting toward iOS, Android apps and social media, requiring regulators to engage directly with platform gatekeepers rather than relying solely on DNS blocking of websites. Cooperation with Meta was specifically strengthened to allow Danish licensed operators to report misuse of their brands in illegal gambling promotions on Facebook and Instagram for faster removal.

Gambling Package 1: New Powers Since November 2025

The enforcement drive coincided with Denmark's Gambling Package 1 (Spilpakke 1), passed by parliament in October 2025 and in force from November 2025. The package is Denmark's most significant gambling reform since market liberalization in 2012. Its key provisions include strengthened protections for children and vulnerable players, expanded Spillemyndigheden powers to block referral and affiliate websites directing Danish users to unlicensed operators, a new funding allocation for automated digital advertising monitoring, and a whistle-to-whistle ban on gambling advertising during live sports broadcasts.

The Authority noted a further emerging enforcement challenge: the "hijacking of legitimate websites" by illegal operators or affiliates creating gambling subdomains that redirect users to offshore casinos. Current Danish law permits blocking of entire domains but not individual subdomains, creating a gap that the Authority has flagged as requiring legislative attention.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many illegal gambling sites did Denmark block in 2025?

Denmark's Spillemyndigheden blocked 334 illegal gambling websites in 2025, up 70% from 197 in 2024, bringing the total since 2012 to 616 sites. The increase reflects stepped-up surveillance rather than growth of the illegal market.

What is Gambling Package 1 in Denmark?

Gambling Package 1 (Spilpakke 1) is Denmark's most significant gambling reform since 2012, passed in October 2025 and effective from November 2025. It expands Spillemyndigheden's enforcement powers, introduces a whistle-to-whistle advertising ban during live sports broadcasts, and funds an automated digital advertising monitoring system.

How does Denmark's dynamic blocking agreement work?

Through a new cooperation agreement with Teleindustrien (Danish ISP trade association), Spillemyndigheden can block mirror or clone sites of already-court-ruled-illegal sites without obtaining a new court order for each mirror site, significantly speeding up enforcement against illegal operator workarounds.