Due to a complaint lodged with the European Commission, the new legislation on gambling, which should have come into force on 1 January 2011, has temporarily been postponed.

The complaint has been submitted by the slot machine business and a casino. They are convinced that it is a matter of governmental support when the tax on gambling in casinos and on slot machines is higher than the tax on online gambling.

- Of course it is my conviction that the agreed legislation is completely in line with the European legislation and that the tax rates do not express governmental support of online gambling. I have notified the parties behind the agreement concluded on the liberalisation of gambling, and they fully agree with the initiatives my officials and I have taken, says the Danish Minister for Taxation, Troels Lund Poulsen.

The same issue has been presented to the office of governmental support at the European Commission by the Danish Ministry of Taxation. 

It has not been possible for government officials to make the European Commission take a stand in the matter even though several officials have been travelling back and forth to Brussels.

- I would like to go to Brussels as soon as possible myself and meet with the Commissioner to press for a quick clarification, says Minister for Taxation Troels Lund Poulsen.

According to the plan, the liberalisation of the gambling market should have entered into force on 1 January 2011. But since the application procedure for the providers takes a few months, it will not be possible to comply with this plan.

The exact time of this legislation entering into force depends on the European Commission's next decision in the matter. Nevertheless, a clarification is expected before summer 2011.

The current legislation on the gambling market therefore remains in force until further notice.

With the present expectations for the coming process, the situation will not affect the funds for surplus recipients and gambling addiction, which the parties behind the agreement concluded on the liberalisation of gambling have agreed upon.

For further information, please contact Press Officer Peter Arnfeldt on tel. +45 4055 8005.