Danish gambling revenue falls 10% in 2020

Danish gambling revenue fell 10% year-on-year for 2020 as land-based closures and sports cancellations took their toll on the market.

Denmark’s total market revenue for 2020 amounted to €806.7m (£700.5m), down from the €887.4m recorded in 2019.

The 10% drop-off represents the first shrinking of the Nordic market since partial liberalisation in 2012.

The €806.7m figure is the lowest generated since 2016 (€793.2m).

Breaking down the total revenue into verticals, physical slot machine revenue dropped from €188.2m in 2019 to €132.6m in 2020, while other land-based casino revenue tumbled by almost 32% from €47m to €32.1m.

Sports betting revenue fell by 9% from €336.1m to €309.2m as the sports shutdown in late Q1 and for most of Q2 2020 severely impacted the vertical.

The only aspect of the Danish market to experience growth was the online casino industry, which saw revenue rise 5% annually to €329.4m.

Anders Dorph, DGA director, said: “One might have expected that there would have been a marked increase in online casino games when the physical gaming halls and casinos were closed down and the opportunities to play sports matches were severely limited.

“However, that is far from the case. Although online casino increased slightly, it is the smallest increase since 2012, and it therefore far outweighs the massive decline we have seen in the other areas,” he added.