Denmark Plans RevShare Ban for Affiliates
The Danish government has presented a draft bill that would prohibit affiliates from operating under commission models based on player losses or betting turnover, as reported by SiGMA News.
If adopted, the ban would come into force on 1 January 2027 and would affect all existing agreements. The timeline for parliamentary consideration has not yet been disclosed.
The Ministry of Taxation explains the initiative as a measure aimed at strengthening player protection.
What the bill предусматривает
The reform is based on amendments to the Danish Gambling Act. While the document does not ban affiliate marketing outright, it introduces a prohibition on key commission models.
Which models fall under the ban
The bill предусматривает отказ from the following payment structures:
- RevShare — commissions calculated as a percentage of player losses;
- commissions linked to betting turnover;
- hybrid models where affiliate income depends on player activity.
The ban would apply both to new contracts and to agreements concluded in previous years.
Effective date and impact on existing contracts
Termination of agreements from 2027
According to the draft bill, all changes would take effect on 1 January 2027. From that date, commissions based on losses or turnover would become illegal, even if the contracts were lawfully concluded.
Affiliates stress that such agreements have been permitted since the liberalisation of the market in 2012 and have formed the foundation of their businesses.
The affiliate industry’s position
Financial and legal risks
Market participants state that the ban threatens companies that have invested in websites, content, marketing, and staff for more than a decade.
According to industry estimates, cancelling existing contracts could lead to:
- loss of future revenue;
- disputes over unpaid commissions;
- the devaluation of previous investments.
Arguments from Benjamin Nørregaard
The founder of Casinolisten, Benjamin Nørregaard, has described the initiative as a breach of legal certainty. In his submission to the Ministry of Taxation, he stated that the law would invalidate all legally concluded agreements without any transition period.
In his view, such intervention affects economic rights and may fall under Article 73 of the Danish Constitution, which provides for compensation in cases of state interference.
Arguments from the authorities and the regulator
Player protection as the main justification
The Ministry of Taxation believes that commissions tied to player losses create incentives to increase betting volumes. According to the ministry, abandoning such models should reduce the risks of excessive gambling.
The position of Spillemyndigheden
The head of the regulator, Spillemyndigheden, Anders Dorph, has previously stated that strict restrictions on licensed market participants reduce their competitiveness.
He has emphasised that illegal operators, which do not pay taxes and do not comply with marketing rules, gain advantages when pressure on the legal segment increases.
The role of affiliates in the licensed market
Traffic channelling
For many years, affiliates have directed players to licensed operators, supporting the market channelling system. Industry representatives believe that abandoning RevShare will weaken this mechanism.
According to their assessment, demand for information about gambling will remain, but promotion may shift towards foreign websites that do not fall under Danish regulation.
Overall impact of the reform on the market
Denmark has long been seen as an example of a regulated gambling market with a high share of licensed operators. At the same time, the regulator is already noting increased pressure from the illegal segment and the limits of existing enforcement measures.
Affiliates warn that a RevShare ban could intensify these trends and alter the balance between the licensed and unlicensed markets.