Spillemyndigheden: Status on Expected New Rules for Charity Lottery and Liberalised Land-Based Bingo

On 20 March 2024, the government and all parties in the Danish Parliament reached an agreement on lotteries and liberalised land-based bingo. A bill to implement the agreement is expected to be presented when the Danish Parliament reopens in October.

Status on New Rules
A draft bill was sent out for consultation before the summer holiday, and the consultation period has now expired. The bill is expected to be presented when the Danish Parliament reopens in October.

The Ministry of Taxation will also send out a draft of a new executive order on charity lottery and an executive order on liberalised land-based bingo for consultation. It will appear on the Danish Gambling Authority’s website when it is possible to submit consultation responses to the executive orders.

“At the Danish Gambling Authority, we are working to be as ready as possible when the new rules are expected to be finally adopted later this fall. The Ministry of Taxation is in charge of the creation of the new rules, so for us at the Danish Gambling Authority, it’s about being prepared for when the new rules will be implemented,” the Danish Gambling Authority said.

“Among other things, we are preparing a new application process for charity lottery. Through a series of questions, it guides applicants to apply for the right licence for their lottery. It will also prepare them to comply with the rules once the applicants have been granted a licence and then hold a lottery.

“We are also preparing the application process for liberalised land-based bingo.

“As part of the preparations, a communication network has been established with representatives from a broad group of stakeholders. The purpose of this network is to target the guidance efforts so that the Danish Gambling Authority can provide the best possible guidance to associations, companies and others who want to hold a lottery for a good cause.”

Webinar on the New Rules for Charity Lottery
As part of the guidance efforts, the Danish Gambling Authority will host a webinar on Tuesday, 26 November 2024 from 1 pm (The webinar is in Danish). You can register now by sending an email to Simone Wellendorph Lehmann at [email protected], no later than 24 November 2024 at 12 noon.

The webinar will not cover the rules for liberalised land-based bingo. There will be separate guidance on this area. The webinar will be canceled if the bill is not passed at this time. If it is cancelled, it will be announced on the Danish Gambling Authority’s website.

Transition Phase from the Current to the New Charity Lottery Rules
In the draft bill that was sent out for consultation, it is planned that applicants will be able to apply for a licence under the new rules from 21 November 2024 with a possible start date for the licence from 1 January 2025.

If, due to planning or similar reasons, an applicant needs to apply for a licence before 21 November 2024, but does not want to hold a lottery until 2025, according to the draft bill, the applicant will receive a licence under the current rules, but with the option to let this licence lapse and then apply for a licence under the new rules after 21 November 2024.