Denmark Reopens Land-Based Casino Licensing as Retail Revenue Declines

^{The Danish Gambling Authority has reopened applications for land-based casino licences, the country's first formal opening to new operators this year. Denmark currently has seven licensed casinos. (Photo: European Commission / Wikimedia Commons)}

Denmark has reopened its licensing window for land-based casinos, inviting applications from new operators and existing licence-holders seeking renewal. The Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden) announced the move on Monday, marking the first formal opportunity for new market entrants this year.

Under Consolidated Act No. 1182 of 22 September 2025 on gambling, the regulator may grant permits for land-based casinos for terms of up to ten years. This comes as the country's retail casino sector continues to lose ground to online casinos.

Application Process and Criteria

Interested companies must submit full applications, including all supporting documentation, by 3 November 2026, the authority said in its notice. Applicants that miss the deadline will not be considered.

Each application will be sent for consultation to the relevant local municipality, the local chief of police, the Ministry of Taxation and the Ministry of Business and Industry, with the Danish Maritime Authority consulted where relevant.

Operators will be judged on their professional suitability and experience in the sector, their financial soundness and liquidity, and information on company ownership and senior management. Geographical considerations and the proposed target customer base will also weigh on decisions.

Denmark currently hosts seven active land-based casino licences, at venues in Copenhagen S, Copenhagen V, Helsingør, Odense, Vejle, Aarhus and Aalborg. By the end of 2025 the authority had issued 1,970 licences across all gambling categories.

Retail Casinos Lose Ground to Online Play

The reopening arrives against a backdrop of declining retail play. According to the regulator's 2025 annual report, land-based casinos generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of DKK378 million ($58.26 million) in 2025, a 5.6% fall year-on-year and just 3% of the total gambling market. Newly liberalised land-based bingo appeared for the first time with a modest GGR of DKK30 million.

Online play told the opposite story. Online casinos generated the highest GGR of any category at DKK4.31 billion, or 38% of the market, up 12.1% year-on-year and more than double (up 139%) their 2012 level.

The contrast is stark: retail casino revenue slipped to 3% of Denmark's market in 2025, while online casinos climbed to 38%, underlining the digital shift reshaping regulated gambling across the Nordics.

Applications may be submitted digitally as encrypted mail or through the authority's contact form, with postal submissions also accepted at its Odense headquarters, the notice said. The 3 November deadline applies to all supporting documentation as well as the application itself.

For prospective operators, the reopening is a rare route into a tightly held market. With only seven venues currently licensed and retail revenue under pressure, the number of permits the authority chooses to award will shape whether Denmark's land-based sector consolidates or expands over the next decade.

That shift has already reshaped land-based gaming elsewhere in the region, most visibly in Sweden's exit from state-run casinos. Even so, the reopening offers scope for market expansion or changes in ownership structure, depending on how many permits Denmark ultimately awards. Applications will be assessed under the criteria set out in the Danish Gambling Authority's notice.