Denmark leads the way in online gaming legislation

European legislation on online gambling and how countries are trying to comply, or in some cases trying to protect their state owned monopolies, seem to have been a regular feature of the news for a while now but could it be that Denmark has arrived at the blueprint solution for others to follow? Consulting firm MECN and legal firm Horton Group have been together on the project and have come up with a solution that they claim creates fair competition at all levels of gambling. Denmark is recognized as being a progressive and open society and also one which looks after its citizens so any new legislation would be expected to address such issues as the social impact of gaming while at the same time assessing the affect on “Danske Spil” the current monopoly holder in the country. It could well be that other countries choose to follow this example, in particular other Scandinavian countries but it is not yet clear how the EU will react to the proposal that all operators must apply for a Danish license as current legislation suggests that a license in any EU country is sufficient to operate in any other EU country. There is also the not so small issue of the cost of a license which could run up to €450,000. These numbers have been seen before and as recently as August this year Ladbrokes Regional Manager in Denmark, Richard Funch is reported to have said that the proposed numbers were reasonable and would therefore not stop his firm from seeking a license; others might not agree given the comparative small size of the Danish market. We shall monitor developments.