First Danish Online Gambling Licenses Issued

Soon to be the world's newest 'online gambling friendly' nation, Denmark has received a multitude of applications for online gaming licenses, 55 of which it has issued to operators allowing them to offer their services in the Scandinavian country.

According to reports, an initial batch of 55 Danish online gambling licenses were granted to 38 of the world's top online gaming operators and software vendors, including Betfair, PKR, 888 Denmark, Cryptologic, Betsson, Entraction and others.

Of the 38 online gaming firms that will be able to legally operate in Denmark from January 1 next year, four hail from the UK, nine from Denmark, four from Gibraltar, one from the Isle of Man and the rest from various other online gaming jurisdictions.

Said Thor Möger Pedersen, Danish minister of taxation, 'From January the gambling market will be orderly and we will ensure that holders of a betting and online casino license to operate on the Danish market also contribute to the society. Danes as well as the many associations supported by the gambling market can be joyful.'

Danish Online Gaming Licensees Welcomed

News of the Danish online gaming licenses have been welcomed by online gaming operators, as a confirmation that Denmark will soon join a handful of other European countries that have chosen to embrace the benefits of liberalised online gaming.

Although online gambling is not currently legal in Denmark, that is expected to change in the next two weeks, when legislation is passed to legalise and regulate the popular internet activity in the country, and allow it to be taxed by the government.

In fact, operators with Denmark internet gambling licenses will be required to pay 20 per cent of their total Danish revenues in taxes, which by some standards is considerable, but ultimately a small price to pay for access to the lucrative Danish market.

The online gambling legislation in question has been signed off by both the European Commission (EU) and Danish parliament, which means it is in line with EU rules and directives. It's no secret that Denmark has one of the world's most lucrative online gaming markets, which is why so many applications for Danish online gambling licenses have been received.