iGB E-zines iGB e-book Denmark | Page 15

Part 3: Marketing and affiliates Part 3: Marketing and affiliates Marketing and ad spend has driven sports-betting and more recently casino-led growth in Denmark, with affiliates still commanding a growing share of operator budgets Although our product has been improved significantly, it is clearly marketing – and especially the right digital media mix – that has driven growth Kim Olsen, Kindred A positive view When looking at the numbers, it is clear that operators within the Danish market are happy with progress to date. “If you look at the growth in the market, it has been showing consistently good growth – mostly double-digit – since it opened up in 2012,” says Morten Ronde, chief executive of the Danish Online Gambling Association (DOGA) and managing partner at the Nordic Gambling legal consultancy. “That will satisfy any operator if they achieved double-digit growth every year.” Indeed, the Danish market performance since deregulation in 2012 is oft-cited by proponents of regulated online gambling as reinforcing its status as one of the model point-of-consumption regimes. Although advocates may have some slight qualms about the 20% tax rate, it is low enough to have attracted many big names. It remains only 2% higher than the 18% rate set for Sweden next year, and although the UK currently stands at 15%, the chances are that for igaming at least this will not last for long. Claus Jansson, senior business manager at the Copenhagen-based super-affiliate Better Collective suggested that by becoming a taxed and licensed regime relatively early in the cycle of regulation in Europe, operators had initially been sceptical of entering Denmark. However, this has changed more recently. “Even though we have the taxation on gaming, we have seen more or less constant growth,” he says. “That has been driven first, by sports-betting, and then in the Denmark: Insights and data on Europe’s pioneer model for igaming regulation 15