In Denmark, one of the most prominent measures of the legislative package is the reinforced ban on gambling advertising during the broadcast and celebration of sporting events. Under the new regulations, betting advertisements will stop being broadcast from 10 minutes before the start of a sporting event until 10 minutes after its conclusion. This restriction would apply to any type of advertising linked to the event, regardless of the channel or format used.
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In addition, the law contemplates the elimination of banners with live odds inside stadiums during the course of matches, a practice that in recent years had become omnipresent in European sports facilities. This type of advertising, which updates odds in real time, is considered especially aggressive by specialists in problem gambling prevention.
Restrictions on advertising aimed at young people
The reform also aims directly at protecting younger audiences. Specific restrictions will be established on advertisements related to young people, and the use of public figures, such as athletes, artists, or influencers, in gambling advertising will be prohibited. This measure responds to the growing concern of health authorities about the role of cultural role models in the normalization of betting among adolescents and young adults.
Likewise, the possibility of offering free bets as a welcome bonus, a commercial tactic widely used by operators to attract new users, will be eliminated. The law will also require the inclusion of visible risk warnings in all gambling advertisements, regardless of the medium of dissemination.
Greater consumer protection and regulatory supervision in Denmark
Beyond marketing controls, the bill introduces more robust consumer protection mechanisms. Funding for gambling addiction treatment will be increased, and self-exclusion options available in the ROFUS system, the official Danish registry that allows users to voluntarily block themselves from licensed gambling operators in the country, will be reinforced.
In parallel, the regulations will grant clearer powers to authorities to act against license holders who violate the rules and to intensify actions against illegal online gambling websites. The Danish Gambling Authority and the Ministry of Taxation will be the bodies responsible for enforcing these provisions.
What are prediction markets and why they concern Denmark
One of the most novel aspects of the Danish regulatory agenda is the possible ban on prediction markets, platforms that allow users to bet on the outcome of future events, ranging from election results to weather phenomena or business decisions. While these markets exist in a legal gray area in many countries, their rapid expansion has raised alarms among regulators across Europe.
Authorities have recognized that the industry is changing at a rapid pace. As new types of betting and platforms gain visibility, the regulator evaluates whether existing frameworks are sufficient to contain the associated risks. Although a final decision has not yet been made on prediction markets, their analysis is part of the so-called Gambling Package 2, the second phase of the legislative reform.
Denmark in the European context of gambling regulation
The Danish reform is not an isolated case. In recent years, countries such as Spain, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands have implemented significant restrictions on gambling advertising, while the debate in the United Kingdom over a deep review of the Gambling Act of 2005 has remained unresolved for years. In this scenario, Denmark positions itself as one of the most active European markets in updating its regulatory frameworks.
The particularity of the Danish approach lies in its comprehensive nature: instead of attacking a specific problem, the government opted for a systemic review covering advertising, consumer protection, addiction treatment funding, regulatory supervision, and new betting modalities. This model could become a reference for other countries seeking to balance the existence of a legal and controlled gambling market with the reduction of its negative social impacts.
A market in transformation: the challenges ahead
The formal presentation of the bill on February 25, 2026, marks the beginning of a legislative process that will redefine the rules of the game in Denmark, literally and figuratively. The betting industry, which generates significant revenue in the country, must adapt to an environment of greater advertising restriction and regulatory control.
At the same time, the possible inclusion of prediction markets in the regulatory agenda of Package 2 anticipates that the debate over the limits of gambling in the digital age is far from over. In a context where bets are placed from mobile phones, in real time, and on almost any imaginable event, the ability of regulators to keep pace with technological innovation will be the most demanding test of the new regulations.
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