iGB E-zines iGB e-book Denmark | Page 18

Part 4: The position of Danske Spil Part 4: The position of Danske Spil Unfazed by accusations of unfair cross-promotion between its lottery and igaming businesses, Denmark’s former monopoly has moved to reposition itself with the launch of its YouBet sportsbook brand 18 One company which has hailed the deregulation of the Danish online gambling market is, unsurprisingly former lottery and gaming monopoly Danske Spil. In his recent interview published by SBTech following their recent deal, chief executive Niels Erik Folmann said he believed other countries had been “inspired” by the Danish model. Regulation here has been managed well and we have succeeded in cutting black and grey operators to a minimum,” he said. “We have experienced fierce competition right from the start and have welcomed it, since it’s in the best interests of players and the industry as a whole. “The Danish taxation model is based on gross profits, casino is highly regulated and poker has international player liquidity, helping operators, both private and state-owned, generate margins and compete on a level playing field. “This clearly shows that the right regulations can help stimulate growth in a regulated market,” he adds. For private operators, however, the degree to which the Danish market is truly a fair fight between the ex-monopoly operator and others in the market is more open to question. A legal separation The issue boils down to one of cross-promotion between the lottery, where Danske Spil remains the monopoly operator, and the rest of the betting and gaming business. The possibility of