(AsiaGameHub) – The operator of bwin‘s Danish domain, part of Entain‘s international sportsbook portfolio, has been fined for breaching national marketing regulations.
The Copenhagen City Court imposed a DKK 500,000 (£57,000) penalty following a Consumer Ombudsman complaint regarding ElectraWorks‘ promotional campaign.
The campaign, run by ElectraWorks as operator of the Danish bwin site, was a ‘Risk-Free Gambling‘ promotion. The Ombudsman reported it to Danish police as misleading in 2024 after a consumer complaint.
The promotion featured the slogan ‘risk free gambling up to 1000 DKK’. After viewing the ad, a consumer placed a DKK 1,000 bet on bwin.dk that lost.
After getting a DKK 1,000 free bet, the customer made a second wager that won. However, they complained to the Ombudsman after receiving just DKK 15 in winnings.
Both consumer and Ombudsman argue the ad was misleading because the customer finished with less money than started, contradicting the ‘risk-free’ claim.
Torben Jensen, the Consumer Ombudsman, said: “When a gambling firm advertises ‘risk-free’ betting, consumers should face no financial risk.
“I must therefore emphasize that marketing games as ‘risk-free’ is clearly misleading if consumers can lose money.”
Ads on Danish political agenda
The Court further ruled that bwin’s actions constituted ‘illegal marketing’ under the Marketing Practices Act, which bans advertising that may mislead typical consumers.
The court noted ‘illegal marketing had occurred for several years’, targeting games at young people to attract new customers, requiring extra caution.
This fine comes as Denmark overhauls gambling advertising laws to improve consumer protection in its regulatory framework.
Denmark re-regulated its gambling market in 2012, ending the Danske Spil state monopoly.
Since then, many operators have launched, including LeoVegas (running BetMGM and Nye Expekt sportsbooks), Unibet, bet365 and Stake.
The overhaul, led by Taxation Minister Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, will likely ban marketing during sports events and in public spaces.
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