Denmark’s sports betting revenue grows despite pandemic halt

denmark-q1-gambling-sports-betting-online-casino

denmark-q1-gambling-sports-betting-online-casinoDenmark’s gambling market took a step back in the first quarter of 2020 as COVID-19 concerns took a bite out of land-based revenue.

Figures released Thursday by Denmark’s Spillemyndigheden regulatory body show market-wide gambling revenue of DKK1.53b (US$221.8m) in the three months ending March 31, down 5% from the same period last year and down a similar percentage from the final quarter of 2019.

Sports betting claimed Q1’s gaming vertical crown with DKK635m, up 2.6% year-on-year despite the pandemic-related halt of most major sports events in mid-March. Mobile remains the dominant betting channel with nearly 52% of all wagering, while land-based bets claimed a one-third share and desktop computers accounted for the remaining 15%.

Online casino revenue slipped 1% to DKK555m, reflecting the regulator’s recent announcement that Danish gamblers weren’t shifting their action to the online casino vertical following the elimination of their land-based options. Between March 9 to May 3, online casino revenue rose 2% year-on-year but this was a smaller growth rate than the vertical displayed through most of 2019.

Slots claimed nearly three-quarters (74%) of Q1’s online casino revenue, followed by roulette (9%) and blackjack (7.1%). Desktop computers remain the online casino player’s preferred access mechanism at 55.2%, although that’s down from 62% in Q1 2019.

Denmark ordered the closure of non-essential retail businesses on March 13, and revenue from slots halls and restaurant slots tumbled 21% to DKK278m in Q1, while land-based casinos were also down just over one-fifth to DKK66m.

Spillemyndigheden added a new wrinkle to Q1’s report by including annual lottery sales figures for the first time. Last year’s lottery sales totaled DKK294m, up from around DKK270m in each of the previous three years but below 2015’s DKK311m peak.

The ROFUS gambling self-exclusion program’s registered around 1,600 additional names in Q1, bringing the total number of registrants to 22,630, of which 15,403 had opted for permanent exclusion. The StopSpillet responsible gambling hotline fielded 157 calls during Q1, with the number decreasing month-by-month to a low of 35 in March.