Omicron Closes Danish Casinos, GGR Soars in November 2021

Despite the numerous lockdowns and restrictions imposed by the pandemic at the end of last year, Denmark’s gross gaming revenue rose by 22.7% across all sectors in November 2021. With upcoming closure plans pending for gaming arcades and brick-and-mortar casinos, the gaming market is expected to take a new hit in the next few weeks.

Denmark’s Gross Gaming Revenue from Betting Rose by 51.7% in November 2021 

According to fresh data published by the Danish Gambling Authority, Denmark’s gross gaming revenue from betting rose by 8.1% in January-November 2021 compared to the 2020 figures. The gross revenues went from $314 million in 2020 to $339 million in 2021. November 2021 proved to be a particularly lucrative month for the betting market in the country. Gross revenues from betting went up 51.7% compared to last November, from $25.5 million to $38.8 million, once again proving the Danish people’s passion for betting on sports.

Revenues from Gaming Machines Dropped 24.9% in 2021

Gaming machines generated $0 in gross gaming revenues between January and March 2021 because of the restrictive measures imposed by the pandemic and the closure of all land slot halls. Slot recovery machines began timidly in April and began climbing up significantly in May, although not as much as the year-over-year results were dispiriting.

The gaming machine revenues continued their descending trend throughout the rest of the year and recorded a significant drop of 24.9% compared to the 2020 numbers. In November 2021, gaming machine revenues recorded a small growth of 1.6% compared to November 2020 numbers, from $15.4 million to $15.7 million.

Gross Gaming Revenues from Online Casinos Went Up

On the other hand, online casino revenues increased by 13.4% in January-November 2021 compared to January-November 2020, from $346 million to $393 million. In November 2021, the segment recorded a 10.2% positive change from the previous year, from $30.5 million to $33.5 million.

The numbers did not include revenues generated by the country’s illegal gambling industry through illicit online platforms. Last March alone, the country’s regulators were allowed to block 55 websites operating illegally.

Land Casinos Recorded a 15% Increase in CGR in November

Brick-and-mortar casinos also followed an ascending trend last November, reaching $4.9 million in monthly revenues compared to $4.3 million in November 2020. At the same time, the January-November 2021 figures were considerably lower than the previous year’s GGR: from $34.8 million to $32.5 million.

What the Near Future Holds for Denmark’s Gaming Industry

Similar to many other countries around the globe, Denmark has been severely hit by a new wave of Covid-19 infections in the last few months. The fast-spreading Omicron variant has been mostly responsible for an even sharper rise in the number of cases that have now reached 20,000 a day. The numbers rank Denmark third in a top of countries with the highest number of confirmed Omicron, behind the UK and the US.

In an attempt to limit the spread of the virus in the upcoming weeks, gaming arcades and casinos in the country will keep their doors shut until January 31. The country is also considering a fourth jab for its most vulnerable citizens.

The news has been officially brought by the Minister for Health Magnus Heunicke during a recent press conference. Heunicke was backed by the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) that emphasized that the persons responsible for overseeing the daily operations of casinos and gaming arcades will also be in charge of the closures. Slot machines will also fall under the same restrictions.

DGA has recognized the negative impact that the closure will have on all gambling operators. As a measure of support, the involuntary closure periods will be taken into account during future gaming machines assessments.

Ever since it started allowing private operators to obtain local licenses and offer games of chance to its citizens in 2012, Denmark has been providing unrestricted access to a wide plethora of legal gambling activities to passionate gamers.

The start of the pandemic in March 2020 brought many unwanted changes in the industry, and they have all been reflected in official reports. Just as the industry was finally starting to recoup, the new restrictions that will be in place until January 31 may lead to new drops in the GGRs of most of the industry’s segments.