Gambling in Denmark

The Nordic outlier: while its neighbours run monopolies or have closed their casinos altogether, Denmark licenses private operators and has done since 2012.

Destinations › Denmark

Denmark at a glance: Denmark licenses land-based casinos, regulated by Spillemyndigheden. The minimum age is 18, and winnings from a licensed Danish operator are not taxed in the player's hands — the operator pays the gambling duty instead. Casinos operate in Copenhagen and several other cities, generally attached to hotels.
18Legal age
None for players on winnings from licensed operatorsTax on winnings
Spillemyndigheden (Danish Gambling Authority)Regulator
August 2026Verified

Why Denmark looks different to its neighbours

Denmark opened its gambling market to licensed private operators in 2012, years before Sweden did the same and while Norway and Finland kept their monopolies. The result is the most conventional casino landscape in the Nordics: licensed rooms, mostly hotel-attached, in Copenhagen and the larger cities, with the regulator publishing its licence register openly.

For a visitor the practical consequence is that Denmark is now the region's default answer to "where can I actually play a table game?" — a position it inherited when Sweden closed its casinos in 2026.

At the tables

Expect European single-zero roulette as standard, at 2.70% on every bet, alongside blackjack and poker. The blackjack payout line is worth checking before you sit anywhere in Europe: 3:2 against 6:5 is +1.35 percentage points, which costs more than every other rule on the felt combined.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the legal gambling age in Denmark?
18 for casinos, with ID checked at the door.
Are gambling winnings taxed in Denmark?
Not for the player when the operator is licensed in Denmark: the duty is levied on the operator. Winnings from operators licensed outside the EU/EEA can be treated differently.
Who regulates gambling in Denmark?
Spillemyndigheden, the Danish Gambling Authority, which licenses both land-based and online operators.

Legal age, regulator and the tax treatment of player winnings on this page were checked against the regulator's own material or a reputable legal summary in August 2026. Gambling law moves; confirm anything consequential with the regulator before relying on it. Where sources disagreed, this site leaves the figure out rather than guessing.