Denmark's government has brought back a legislative proposal that would significantly tighten the rules on how gambling operators market their products and compensate the affiliates who promote them. The bill, drafted by the Ministry of Taxation, mirrors an agreement struck among the country's political parties in October 2025 before a snap general election interrupted the legislative process. With that political obstacle now behind it, the proposal returns largely intact, signaling that Denmark's appetite for stricter advertising controls has not faded.
What the Bill Actually Restricts
The core of the proposal targets when, where, and how gambling can be advertised. Betting commercials on television and streaming platforms would be barred from the ten minutes before a sporting event through ten minutes after it ends - a window that covers precisely the moment when viewer attention, and betting intent, tends to peak. Advertising on public transport would be prohibited outright, and gambling ads would also be banned within 200 meters of schools in public spaces. The bill draws a careful distinction here: stadiums, arenas, sports halls, and shops within that 200-meter radius are not classified as "public space," meaning advertising inside those venues would remain permitted even if a school sits nearby.
The legislation also takes direct aim at marketing tactics that rely on public trust and influence. Using celebrities or role models to promote gambling products would be banned, reflecting a broader regulatory concern across Europe that such endorsements blur the line between entertainment and risk-taking, particularly for younger or more impressionable audiences.
Ending Turnover-Based Affiliate Payments
Perhaps the most consequential element for the industry's business model is the proposed ban on affiliate payments calculated as a share of player turnover. Revenue share arrangements have long been standard practice in the affiliate marketing ecosystem, rewarding publishers and influencers based on how much money referred customers generate for operators over time. Critics of this model argue it creates a financial incentive to encourage sustained or heavier wagering rather than simply informed sign-ups. By eliminating turnover-based compensation, Denmark would push affiliates toward flat-fee or cost-per-acquisition models that do not scale with a customer's losses.
The bill goes further by extending legal liability for marketing violations to influencers and affiliates directly, rather than leaving operators solely responsible. This shift would make content creators and marketing partners accountable for compliance, a change that could reshape how gambling-related promotional content is produced and reviewed across Danish-facing platforms.
Product Changes and Regulatory Enforcement
Beyond advertising, the bill proposes adding dice games and wheel of fortune games to the list of products authorized within Denmark's competitive online gaming market, though these would remain excluded from the state lottery monopoly. This distinction preserves the separation between commercially licensed operators and the monopoly structure that governs lottery products in Denmark.
The proposal also includes modest adjustments to land-based gambling regulation and, notably, strengthens the enforcement powers available to Denmark's gambling regulator in its efforts to combat unlicensed and illegal gambling activity. Stronger enforcement tools are often the quieter but more consequential companion to advertising restrictions, since tighter marketing rules on licensed operators can otherwise push demand toward unregulated alternatives offering none of the consumer protections built into the licensed market.
Why This Matters Beyond Denmark
Denmark's approach reflects a pattern visible across several European gambling markets, where regulators are moving from broad advertising codes toward granular restrictions on timing, placement, and audience targeting. The affiliate reform, in particular, addresses a structural incentive that has drawn scrutiny well beyond Danish borders: when marketing partners profit from a customer's ongoing losses rather than a single transaction, the alignment between commercial interest and consumer welfare weakens. Operators, affiliates, and advertising platforms serving the Danish market will need to monitor the bill's progress closely, as its provisions on liability and compensation structures could require meaningful changes to existing commercial agreements well before any formal enforcement begins.