Danish regulator signs agreements with British and French counterparts

The Danish Gambling Authority, Spillemyndigheden, has signed cooperation agreements with its French and British equivalents as it moves towards greater European integration.

The two agreements announced in the last week with ARJEL and the Gambling Commission cover the “promotion of cross-border cooperation” and the adoption of common principles between the European regulators.

“The agreement, organised in respect of personal data protection rules, will enhance the efficiency of regulation carried out by both authorities in strategic regulatory areas,” Spillemyndigheden said in a statement.

The deals are expected broaden the cross-border scope of the regulators, and will cover money laundering, management of player accounts, supervision of advertising and consumer protection.

Spillemyndigheden had previously entered similar cooperation agreements with regulators in Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta and Alderney.

“Our members will absolutely welcome more international cooperation, especially if it leads to less bureaucracy and easier administration,” Morten Rønde, chief executive of the Danish Online Gambling Association, said.

“Most of our operators are operating in different jurisdictions, and it would naturally be beneficial if the jurisdictions started to streamline so there was less duplication of regulatory requirements,” he added.

The regulator would not comment further on the agreements because of the election campaign currently ongoing in Denmark, which could radically shake up the country’s gambling market.

As revealed by eGaming Review in April, depending on the result of the 18 June vote, Denmark’s state-owned former monopoly Danske Spil could be partially privatised.