Danish delays on online gambling legalisation

Denmark’s slow march toward the abandonment of its state monopoly on internet gambling is set to experience further delays, according to a Ladbrokes executive, and Betsson’s chief executive is undecided on whether the Swedish company will apply for a licence.
Back in July this year, the Danes started accepting licence applications after earlier agreeing  under pressure from the European Commission to some liberalisation.
The snag was that applicants had to cease all activity in the market for a six month period until the licenses became effective, originally estimated to take place around January 2011. This ‘black period’ condition was widely interpreted as an attempt to create a protective cushion around state monopoly Danske Spil, giving it a significant advantage over its eventual competitors.
Licenses cannot be issued until the EC has completed a review of the draft law liberalising the market, which includes provisions for ISP and financial blocking of unlicensed operators.

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