Denmark's gambling bill L 37 would ban ads around live sport and turnover-based affiliate pay

Denmark's government has tabled a bill that would ban gambling ads around live sport, on public transport and near schools, and stop operators paying affiliates a share of what players stake or lose. Bill L 37 was tabled in the Folketing, the Danish parliament, on 7 October 2026 by Jakob Engel-Schmidt, the Minister for Taxation and Growth. It amends the Gambling Act, the Corporation Tax Act and the Gambling Duties Act. It is still a bill: first reading (*førstebehandling*) is scheduled for 22 October 2026, and parliament can change it before any vote.

L 37 re-tables an earlier bill, L 127, with minor adjustments. L 127 lapsed with the general election. Both rest on a cross-party agreement from 24 October 2025, "Gambling Package 1: A more responsible gambling market".

What gambling ads could no longer do

Under the new rules in § 36 of the Gambling Act, all gambling marketing would have to present gambling as entertainment. It could not:

• target or particularly appeal to under-18s, in its content or its choice of media;
• falsely suggest that gambling contributed to someone's success, or that it solves money problems or brings social acceptance;
• present gambling as a priority, a lifestyle or a natural part of a community;
• use authority figures;
• feature people under 25.

The authority-figure rule matters most for influencers. The explanatory notes say anyone with more than 10,000 followers or viewers on a social platform, or more than 100,000 accumulated views across platforms, always counts as an authority figure. Below those numbers it is a case-by-case judgement. In practice, larger influencers, gamefluencers and streamers could not appear in gambling ads at all. The rules apply to anyone who markets gambling, not only licence holders, so affiliates and influencers would be responsible for their own marketing.

Where gambling ads would be banned

The bill names three places and times where gambling marketing would not be allowed at all:

• Live sport: from 10 minutes before a live sports broadcast, during it, and until 10 minutes after. According to the explanatory notes this covers ads on TV and streaming services, including ad breaks during pauses in play, and also live odds shown at the venue itself. Stadium banners and shirt sponsorship are not covered.
• Public transport: on public transport and otherwise in connection with it.
• Near schools: in public areas within 200 metres of schools and upper-secondary schools, measured from the institution's outer property boundary.

The affiliate rule

The change that most directly hits sites like ours is in § 36(3). If an operator uses a third party to market gambling, "the pay to that party may not be based on the player's turnover, including winnings or losses" (translated from Danish). In practice, that ends revenue-share deals tied to what players stake or lose.

The explanatory notes add two details. The ban would cover new and existing contracts, for pay based on activity after the rule takes effect. And paying an affiliate by how many times a visitor is sent from its site to the operator stays allowed. The notes say the aim is that an affiliate has no financial reason to get people to gamble more than they want to, and does not profit from a player's losses.

Bonusjungle is an affiliate site, so this rule would apply to us.

Unlicensed gambling

Danish law already fines anyone who advertises gambling operators without a Danish licence, or who refers players to unlicensed gambling aimed at Denmark. L 37 widens this: any marketing of unlicensed gambling in Denmark would be banned and punishable by a fine, whether or not the gambling site itself targets Danish players. The bill also gives the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden) stronger supervision powers over the unregulated market.

When it would apply

If parliament passes it, the law would enter into force on 1 January 2027. The marketing rules in § 36 and a statutory duty for operators to watch for and act on signs of problem gambling (§ 36 a) would only apply from 1 July 2027. Other parts follow on 1 October 2027.

What it means for players

Nothing changes yet. If the bill passes as tabled, Danish players would see fewer gambling ads around live sport from mid-2027, none on buses and trains or near schools, and no gambling ads with large influencers. Licensed Danish sites stay available. The affiliate rule changes how review and comparison sites are paid, which is worth knowing whenever a site recommends a casino.

For a similar mix of ad limits and affiliate rules elsewhere, see Bulgaria's 2027 gambling ad ban.

18+. If gambling has stopped feeling like a pastime, see responsible play.