Denmark Issues Guidelines for Advertising and Offering Casino Bonuses

A large part of the maturation of the online gambling market is the demand for transparency. It is only through complete transparency when it comes to the service on offer, its true cost and the requirements surrounding wagering and cashing out that players can make informed decisions.

The latest gambling regulator to clarify their stance on the marketing of casino games and their associated promotions is Denmark. To this end, the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) has updated their duty of disclosure guidelines for operators – specifically providing a detailed guide to casino bonuses and one dealing with gambling-related advertising and marketing.

 How Casino Bonuses Now Work in Denmark

The new Danish guidelines cover a lot of information aimed at the operator, however, for your convenience we have curated the key points clarifying what casinos are required to show you when offering you a bonus or promotion.

1. The value of the sales promotion: The average value of a casino bonus in Denmark is limited to DKK 1,000 or less, plus the deposit required to claim a bonus must always be equal to the bonus amount.
2. Special rules regarding the use of “free”: Even an offer listed as free may not exceed DKK 1,000 in value, however, the DGA determined that casinos may not offer bonuses without the need for a deposit (which matches the value of the bonus as above). “Free” can be used as a marketing term when used as ‘Deposit DKK 100 and receive 100 free spins’ where the spins in question are worth DKK 100.
3. Special requirements regarding draws and similar: Tickets to a prize draw can equate to bonus however the ticket value may not exceed the value of DKK 1,000. The equation for this will simply be the value of the prizes divided by the number of tickets offered to participants, this value must be DKK 1,000 or less.
4. Playthrough requirements: Bonus offered in Denmark may not exceed 10x the value of the bonus plus its triggering deposit. Players will have 60 days or more to meet the wagering requirement and all games associated with the bonus must contribute 100% of playthrough. No winnings from a bonus may attract wagering requirements. Any bonus that features a wagering requirement may not be promoted as a “free”.
5. Who are offered the sales promotion: Bonuses must be based on a value range or on a set of requirements where at least 100 players are offered the same bonus at the same time (for example player birthday bonuses). Player inactivity may not be an exclusive selection criterion; however, inactive players may be included in an offer made to all players.
6. Terms and conditions of the sales promotion: All casino bonuses must include the terms and conditions of the offer alongside the bonus information to ensure the players makes an informed purchase decision. The DGA considers significant terms to be those relating to age requirements, minimum deposits, wagering requirements, time limits etc.
7. One click away: The DGA has determined to sure transparency and cut out buyer confusion the full terms and conditions relating to the bonus offer must be available within one click of the marketing material – including if the marketing material is the thing being clicked, as is the case with a banner ad.
8. Statutory disclosure when marketing gambling activities: All bonus marketing material must clearly display the minimum age requirement, information on safer gambling and self-exclusion in Denmark
9. Marketing to self-excluded players: Online casinos are required to consult ROFUS, the Danish self-exclusion program, to ensure excluded players do not receive bonus offers

The full documentation addressing the concept of “sales promotion” and how marketing campaigns should be run can be found on the DGA’s official website and is worth a read if you’re interested in delving into the nitty-gritty of Danish gambling legislation.