Danish regulator launches whistleblower scheme

Danish regulator Spillemyndigheden has established a new whistleblower scheme allowing employees of gambling operators to report evidence or suspicions of wrongdoing in relation to money laundering laws.

Individuals concerned about activities that could place the operator in breach of money laundering legislation can contact the regulator directly via a dedicated section on its website.

Reports can be sent to Spillemyndigheden anonymously, while all submissions will be encrypted to ensure security throughout the process.

The regulator will analyse each report, make a legal assessment and take further action if deemed necessary.

Spillemyndigheden has taken a number of steps to enhance consumer protection in 2019 to date, including last month issuing a warning to licensees ensure any bonus offers they are running are in line with rules set out by the Danish Consumer Ombudsman.

The regulator has also petitioned the country’s telecommunications providers to block access to 25 unlicensed gaming websites, and in March set out a new code of conduct for operators, with the aim of strengthening consumer protection and lowering the risk of gambling addiction.

The regulated Danish gambling market continues to see growth across a number of verticals, with Spillemyndigheden reporting a 5.7% year-on-year increase in revenue to DKK9.74bn (£1.14bn/€1.30bn/$1.46bn) in 2018.

Gross gaming revenue from sports betting amounted to DKK2.53bn last year, up from DKK2.33bn in 2017, while online casino revenue also increased by 19.5% from DKK1.81bn to DKK2.16bn.