Denmark opens land-based casino licensing with 3 November deadline
Licences run for up to 10 years, and every application goes out for consultation with the local municipality, police, and two ministries.
Land-based casino revenue in Denmark has been falling as play shifts online, and the physical segment remains tightly limited by licence. The Danish Gambling Authority opened applications for land-based casino licences on 3 August 2026, with a deadline of 3 November.
What is on offer
Under section 14(1) of Consolidated Act No. 1182 of 22 September 2025 on gambling, the authority may grant licences for the establishment and operation of land-based casinos. Section 14(2) caps the term at 10 years at a time.
The application form and the list of required documentation can be downloaded from the authority’s website.
Application material must reach the authority no later than 3 November 2026, and applicants who miss the deadline will not be considered. The notice does not state how many licences are available.
How applications will be assessed
The authority said it will place emphasis on whether an applicant can be assumed to operate the casino in a fully professional and financially responsible manner.
It will consider:
- Professional suitability, including whether the applicant has experience in offering gambling or is otherwise qualified to run a casino
- Financial soundness, including whether the applicant has sufficient liquidity, given the significant expenses involved
Spillemyndigheden will also take into account requirements for individuals, requirements for the company and its executive management and board, geographical considerations, customer base, a detailed project description for the casino, and order-related matters, size, and location.
Every application received will be sent for consultation to the local municipality, the local Chief of Police, the Ministry of Taxation, the Ministry of Business and, where relevant, the Danish Maritime Authority.
The existing market
Seven land-based casino licences are currently active, held by Casino Copenhagen, Casino Vesterport Copenhagen, Casino Marienlyst in Helsingør, Casino Odense, Casino Munkebjerg Vejle, Royal Casino in Aarhus, and Casino Aalborg.
Land-based casino gross gaming revenue fell 5.6% to DKK 378 million in 2025, roughly 3% of the total Danish gambling market, according to the authority’s annual review, The Gambling Market in Numbers 2025.
Based on GGR, online casinos were the largest gambling category in 2025 with DKK 4,309 million, equivalent to 38% of the gambling market. Monopoly lotteries and betting together accounted for almost half of the gambling market.
Licence holders pay an annual fee scaled to gross gaming revenue, ranging in 2026 from DKK 196,700 for revenue below DKK 10 million to DKK 1,639,100 for revenue of DKK 100 million or more.
Fee rates for land-based casinos in 2026
| Gross gaming revenue | Annual fee |
| Less than DKK 10,000,000 | DKK 196,700 |
| DKK 10,000,000 to DKK 20,000,000 | DKK 393,400 |
| DKK 20,000,000 to DKK 50,000,000 | DKK 590,100 |
| DKK 50,000,000 to DKK 100,000,000 | DKK 983,500 |
| DKK 100,000,000 or more | DKK 1,639,100 |
Casino operations are also governed by Executive Order No. 1290 of 29 November 2019 on land-based casinos and by Danish anti-money laundering rules.
The opening comes while Denmark works through the wider gambling reform package agreed in October 2025, which tightens advertising rules and expands the legal basis for blocking unlicensed operators.
How to apply
Applications may be submitted as encrypted mail via Bluewhale or through the authority’s contact form, or sent by post to the Danish Gambling Authority, addressed to Peter Abildtrup Franck and marked ‘Application – Land-based Casino’.
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