As European online gaming continues apace the country expected to be next to open up their market have moved to reassure the continent’s biggest operators that the market will be opening as planned. This is despite the ongoing rift with land-based operators in the country over lower tax rates for online gambling, something that the land-based group took up with the European Commission (EC).
According to an article on eGaming Review, the Danish minister for taxation yesterday provided assurances to an invited audience that the market will be open by the autumn, a resolution with the EC expected by June.
Denmark country manager for Betsafe, Richardt Funch, told eGR: “The Danish government was very positive that they are going to have a resolution with the EC before summer this year.”
At the meeting, which it’s thought was called due to many believing the law would take two years to come into force, the gross profit tax rate of 20% was confirmed as well as operators being allowed to tap into international poker liquidity.
In terms of when the market will actually open Funch added: “The plan is that the Danish Minister for Taxation will announce that the law will come into force three months from that day, and that from that day, they will also open the licensing process.”
Funch also seemed to explain that the “black period” identified last year by the Swedish operator Betsson, which would see operators having to completely cease operations, isn’t likely to be enforced as was planned before.
The tax rate of 20% on gross profit is still considered high by a number of prospective operators and, if they can help it, the Danish don’t want a situation on their hands like the French are currently experiencing. Otherwise no one will be buying one of those novelty Viking hats.
