New Political Agreement Aims to Curb Gambling Addiction and Protect Children and Youth

The Danish government and a broad majority in the Folketing have today reached an agreement on “Gambling Package 1: A More Responsible Gambling Market,” which aims to slow the growth of gambling addiction in Denmark and provide better protection—particularly for children and young people. The agreement includes stricter regulation of gambling advertisements, influencers, and the use of celebrities in marketing.

One of the key measures in the agreement is an expanded whistle-to-whistle ban on gambling ads during sporting events. The ban applies from 10 minutes before kickoff to 10 minutes after the match ends.

“Gambling addiction destroys lives and relationships, and it has grown explosively in recent years. That’s why I’m very pleased that, with a broad majority in the Folketing, we are now taking a significant first step with Gambling Package 1 to protect especially children and young people from gambling problems and an overly aggressive gambling market. We’re doing this, among other things, with an expanded whistle-to-whistle ban, as advertising and influencers have made it far too easy to be lured into addiction. We are now taking an important step to stop that development,” says Minister for Taxation Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen.

The agreement is supported by the government and the parties Social Democrats, Venstre, Moderates, Socialist People’s Party, Denmark Democrats, Conservative People’s Party, Red-Green Alliance, Social Liberal Party, The Alternative, and Danish People’s Party. It also includes strengthened efforts in prevention and treatment, with special initiatives for children and youth, as well as a new research fund to improve knowledge about gambling behavior and addiction.

The Minister for Taxation emphasizes that this is only the beginning: “It was important to me and the parties that we created an agreement that can be passed in this parliamentary session. But we also agree that the work doesn’t stop here. That’s why it’s called Gambling Package 1, because we will continue to monitor the area closely to ensure that the new rules truly make a real and noticeable difference for those who need it. This is the beginning of a reckoning with a gambling industry that for far too long has taken up too much space, turning entertainment into addiction. This requires responsible providers, stronger regulations, and ongoing political efforts.”

Several of the recommendations from the Youth Gambling Panel have been incorporated into the final agreement. At the same time, the Danish Gambling Authority will be granted expanded powers to monitor and sanction illegal gambling operators, and regulations will be simplified to better target the protection of players.

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