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Greenland: gambling regulation and licensing

Part of Denmark

  • Online casinoRegulated
  • Online pokerRegulated
  • Online sports bettingRegulated
  • iLotteryMonopoly
  • Land-based (reference)Regulated
Regulator
Danish Gambling Authority
Headline tax
20% GGR
Licence required
Yes
Last verified
24 Sept 2026

Summary

Greenland regulates gambling under a Danish statute passed at the request of its own government. The Act for Greenland on Certain Games, in force since 1 January 2012 and consolidated in 2016, is run from Denmark: the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden) issues every licence under it and supervises online casino, online and land-based betting and lottery. Denmark's own Gambling Act does not apply in Greenland. Online casino, poker and sports betting are open to licensed operators. A holder of a multi-year Danish online casino or betting licence can extend it to Greenland at no extra fee for the same games, and 15 operators on the Authority's register were licensed in Greenland at 20 August 2026. A separate one-year licence, capped at DKK 1 million of gaming revenue, is open only to Greenland residents and companies. Lottery and horse and dog pool betting stay with Danske Spil, and online bingo is excluded from casino licences. Online casino and betting pay a 20% duty on gross gaming revenue to the Danish state; lottery prizes bear 15% on the part above DKK 200. The state returns an indexed annual sum, set at DKK 43.25 million at 2015 prices, which the Government of Greenland shares among sport and other good causes. Greenland's own laws require municipal permits for gaming machines and levy a per-machine duty and a lottery duty. Online players must be 18, set a deposit limit and can self-exclude through ROFUS. Unlicensed supply and advertising are offences, but the Act contains no site or payment blocking power. No amending bill was found.

Common pitfalls

Greenland is not covered by the Danish Gambling Act, and a Danish licence alone does not authorise supply there: the operator needs the separate Greenland licence under s. 7 of the Act for Greenland on Certain Games, which is free but must be requested. The absence of any blocking power in the Greenland Act does not make unlicensed supply lawful: offering it or advertising it is an offence. The duty on online casino and betting in Greenland is set by its own Act at 20% of gross gaming revenue, so the Danish rate should not be assumed. Gaming machines are a Greenland matter, licensed by municipal councils under Greenland law, not by the Authority.

Key facts

Regulator
Danish Gambling Authority
Regulator type
Dedicated regulator
Headline tax
20% GGR
Licence required
Yes
Minimum age
18+
Tax base
Online casino and betting (other than horse and dog betting): 20% of gross gaming revenue (bruttospilleindtægt) to the Danish state; for betting exchanges and commission-based casino games, 20% of the commission taken (Act, s. 25). Returns are monthly, due by the 15th of the following month, filed with any Danish duty (s. 28 a).

Licensing

Licence required
Yes
Application window
Not yet verified
Local establishment required
Not yet verified
Local server required
Not yet verified
Active licences
15 (as of 20 Aug 2026)
Notable licensees
Danske Lotteri Spil A/S (lottery monopoly), Danske Licens Spil A/S, Hillside (New Media Malta) Plc (bet365), Reel Denmark Limited (PokerStars), Stake Denmark A/S, Merkur Bets Malta Limited, Denix Limited, Spilhuset.dk A/S
Certification requirements
Game systems, business procedures and business systems must be certified by an accredited testing company before use, and the Authority may order further testing at any time (Executive Orders 683/2025, ss. 35 and 36, and 685/2025). Licensees must give the Authority remote access to the game system (Order 683/2025, s. 34).
Barriers to entry
Access runs through Denmark. A foreign or Danish operator needs a multi-year Danish online casino or betting licence first; the Greenland licence then follows at no extra fee but only for the same games. The only stand-alone route is the one-year licence under s. 8, restricted to Greenland residents and companies and capped at DKK 1 million of taxable gaming revenue. Lottery, horse and dog betting and online bingo are closed. Operators must provide required player information in Greenlandic as well as Danish, although the Authority currently requires only information of a lasting nature in Greenlandic. The activeLicenceCount is the number of operators marked "Licensed in Greenland" in the Authority register at 20 August 2026.

Licence types

  • Greenland online casino or betting licence for Danish licensees (s. 7)

    Scope
    Online casino (including poker) and online or land-based betting, limited to the games covered by the operator's multi-year Danish licence; excludes horse, dog and pigeon racing and online bingo
    Term
    Linked to the Danish licence; lapses if the Danish licence is revoked or lapses (s. 10(1))
    Fee basis
    No fee is charged for the Greenland licence; it can be sought with the Danish application or later (Legal Guidance E.A.9.16).
  • Revenue-restricted Greenland licence (s. 8)

    Scope
    Online casino and betting by persons resident or companies established in Greenland, with taxable gaming revenue of no more than DKK 1,000,000 over the licence period
    Term
    Up to 1 year
    Application fee
    kr68,700 as of 2026
    Fee basis
    One fee covering application, licence and supervision: DKK 68,700 in 2026 and DKK 70,700 in 2027 (DKK 50,000 at 2010 level, indexed); DKK 34,400 is refunded if the application is refused (s. 23).
    Renewal terms
    A new application is needed each year.
  • Danske Spil lottery and horse and dog betting licence (s. 6)

    Scope
    Lotteries equivalent to those Danske Spil may offer in Denmark, and pool betting on horse and dog racing
    Fee basis
    No application route for others.
  • Local pool betting licence (s. 9)

    Scope
    Pool betting at track cycling, dog racing, pigeon racing and horse racing; for cycling, dog and pigeon racing only organisers affiliated to the sport's national body, and for horse racing only associations that have held such a licence for a number of years (s. 9(4))
    Term
    Up to 3 years, for set days each year
  • Municipal gaming machine permit (Greenland Parliament Act 3/1990)

    Scope
    Placing a gaming machine where the public or club members have access
    Term
    2 years, for a named person and a fixed location
    Fee basis
    Annual per-machine duty to the Treasury of Greenland (see taxation).

Taxation

Headline GGR tax
20% GGR
Effective date
1 Jan 2012
Player winnings tax
Prizes from lotteries subject to the Greenland lottery duty are exempt from income tax (Greenland Parliament Act 7/1987, s. 2). The income tax treatment of winnings from Danish-licensed online operators was not confirmed from a primary source.
Withholding mechanism
Lottery winnings duty is withheld from cash prizes at payout (Act, s. 28(3)).
Tax base
Online casino and betting (other than horse and dog betting): 20% of gross gaming revenue (bruttospilleindtægt) to the Danish state; for betting exchanges and commission-based casino games, 20% of the commission taken (Act, s. 25). Returns are monthly, due by the 15th of the following month, filed with any Danish duty (s. 28 a).

Earmarked levies

  • Lottery winnings duty (Danish state): 15% of each prize above DKK 200, withheld by the licensee (Act, ss. 24 and 28) (Danish state)
  • Horse and dog betting duty: 11% of gross gaming revenue (Act, s. 24 a) (Danish state)
  • Local pool betting duty: 11% of stakes less DKK 27,500 per race day in 2026 (DKK 28,300 in 2027), for up to 24 race days a year (Act, s. 26) (Danish state)
  • Gaming machine duty (Greenland): Per machine per year: prize-paying machines DKK 64,000 for the first, DKK 70,000 for the second and DKK 76,000 for each further machine; non-prize machines DKK 16,000, DKK 17,500 and DKK 19,000 (Treasury of Greenland (landskassen))
  • Lottery duty (Greenland): 15% of each prize above DKK 200, for lotteries held in Greenland such as bingo and public competitions (Treasury of Greenland (landskassen))
  • Annual transfer to the Government of Greenland: DKK 43,250,000 at 2015 level, indexed to consumer prices (Act, s. 35, as amended by Act 1733/2016) (Government of Greenland, for distribution to good causes under Inatsisartutlov 10/2011)

Compliance

Minimum age
18+
National self-exclusion
ROFUS (Register Over Frivilligt Udelukkede Spillere), kept by Spillemyndigheden (mandatory)
KYC timing
Before the first deposit. Until checks are complete only a temporary account is allowed: deposits capped at DKK 10,000, no withdrawals, closed after 30 days without documentation.
AML regime
The Anti-Money Laundering Act applies in Greenland through Royal Ordinance 956/2021 from 1 June 2021; gambling providers are obliged entities and Spillemyndigheden supervises providers licensed under the Act for Greenland on Certain Games. The Danish FSA keeps a separate PEP list for Greenland, last updated on 23 May 2025.
AML supervisor
Spillemyndigheden (Danish Gambling Authority)
Deposit limits
Players must set a daily, weekly or monthly deposit limit before playing; increases take effect after 24 hours (Order 683/2025, s. 21).
Session limits
A clock showing time spent must be visible on the site at all times (Order 683/2025, s. 17).
KYC requirements
Players must register as customers with name and CPR number (or equivalent identification if they have none), verified on a risk basis; an electronic ID at the substantial assurance level is required to open an account, on first login from a new device and to change identity details, and eID or strong customer authentication for deposits and withdrawals (Executive Orders 683/2025 and 685/2025, ss. 2 and 7).
Stake limits
Not yet verified
Mandatory player messaging
Required player information must be available in Danish and Greenlandic, with the 18+ rule, responsible gambling information, a self-test, the Authority's helpline, ROFUS and contact details of Greenlandic treatment centres (Order 683/2025, ss. 14 and 15). The Authority lists treatment centres in Greenland on its website. Licensees must check ROFUS at sign-up, at login and no earlier than 24 hours before sending marketing; players registered without a CPR number fall outside it (Order 683/2025, ss. 24 and 25).
Reporting obligations
Online casino and betting licensees under s. 7 must submit a compliance report by an approved firm within 14 months of starting and an annual statement with key figures within 5 months of each financial year end (Act, s. 22).
Game content restrictions
No bets on sporting events reserved for under-18s (Orders 685/2025 and 687/2025). Betting licences exclude horse, dog and pigeon racing; online casino licences exclude online bingo (Act, s. 7(3)).

Advertising

Advertising permitted
Yes
Celebrity and influencer rules
Celebrities may not be used to suggest, contrary to the truth, that gambling contributed to their success (Act, s. 17(1)(4)).
Bonus advertising rules
Bonuses are capped at DKK 1,000 in value, wagering at 10 times deposit plus bonus, with at least 60 days to meet conditions and all terms shown next to the offer; offers must go to at least 100 players on common criteria and inactivity may not be a selection criterion (Order 683/2025, ss. 29 and 30; the same rules in Orders 685/2025 and 687/2025).
Mandatory warnings
Age limit, the Authority's helpline and the ROFUS option in all marketing (Order 683/2025, s. 28).
Penalties for breach
Fines, with measures under the Criminal Code for Greenland in aggravated or repeated cases (Act, s. 45); companies can be held criminally liable (s. 47).

Restrictions

  • Marketing must present the chance of winning accurately, present gambling as entertainment, not target under-18s in content or media, not use celebrities to suggest gambling contributed to their success, and not suggest gambling solves financial problems or brings social acceptance (Act, s. 17).
  • Advertising for gambling operators not licensed under the Act is an offence (Act, s. 45(1)(5)).
  • Marketing must state the age limit, the Authority's helpline and the ROFUS self-exclusion option and carry the Authority's licence mark (Order 683/2025, s. 28).
  • No marketing to self-excluded players; the ROFUS register must be checked no earlier than 24 hours before sending marketing (Order 683/2025, ss. 25 and 27).

Payments

Credit card ban
Not yet verified
Crypto stance
Not yet verified
Permitted methods
Payments to a player account only through payment service providers lawfully offered under the Payments Act; no cash deposits (Order 683/2025, s. 8)
Payment blocking regime
None in force. Section 19 of the Act lets the Minister make rules on payment of stakes and winnings to and from unlicensed operators, but no such rules appear in the three 2025 executive orders.
Withdrawal timeframe rules
On account closure the balance must be paid out within 5 working days, free of charge (Order 683/2025, s. 31). Player funds must be held in a segregated account protected on insolvency (s. 11).

Enforcement

ISP blocking
No
DNS blocking
No
Payment blocking
No
App store takedowns
Not yet verified
Administrative penalties
Orders (påbud) and reprimands (påtale) for breaches of licence terms, and revocation of a licence for serious or repeated breaches, unpaid duties or fees, or public debt over DKK 100,000 (Act, s. 10; Authority Greenland page).
Criminal penalties
Fines for offering or brokering unlicensed gambling, advertising unlicensed operators and other breaches, with fines set with regard to turnover and gain (Act, ss. 45 and 48); measures under the Criminal Code for Greenland in aggravated cases (s. 45(2)).
Operator liability
Criminal and administrative. The Authority can refer breaches of the Act or the Greenland executive orders to the police. The Danish Gambling Act does not apply in Greenland (s. 76), and the Act for Greenland on Certain Games contains no power to block websites or payments. No enforcement action concerning Greenland was found in the sources read.
Player liability
No provision read makes taking part in unlicensed gambling an offence for players.

Timeline

  1. 1 Jan 1988

    Greenland lottery duty takes effect (Greenland Parliament Act 7/1987).

  2. 17 May 1990

    Greenland Parliament Act 3/1990 introduces municipal permits and a duty for gaming machines.

  3. 22 Mar 2011

    The Act for Greenland on Certain Games is enacted as Act No. 223 of 22 March 2011.

  4. 1 Jan 2012

    The Act takes effect, with Spillemyndigheden as gambling authority; the Greenland Act on distribution of gambling funds also takes effect.

  5. 7 Apr 2016

    The Act is consolidated as LBK No. 336.

  6. 1 Jan 2017

    The annual transfer to the Government of Greenland is set at DKK 43.25 million (2015 level).

  7. 1 Jan 2018

    Act 1685/2017 keeps online bingo and horse and dog betting with Danske Spil in Greenland; the Authority notes that their liberalisation does not apply there.

  8. 1 Jun 2021

    The Anti-Money Laundering Act takes effect for Greenland, including gambling providers.

  9. 1 Jul 2025

    New executive orders for Greenland on online casino, online betting and land-based betting take effect.

  10. 20 Aug 2026

    The Authority register shows 15 operators licensed in Greenland.

  11. 2 Sept 2026

    Tax Ministry publishes 2027 rates: duties unchanged, indexed fee DKK 70,700.

Outlook

No bill to amend the Act for Greenland on Certain Games was found. The Tax Ministry's rate table published on 2 September 2026 keeps the 20% duty on online casino and betting and the 15% lottery winnings duty unchanged for 2027, while the indexed licence fee under s. 8 rises to DKK 70,700 and the local pool betting deduction to DKK 28,300. The player protection rules in the three executive orders of June 2025 are the current baseline.

Frequently asked questions

Who licenses online gambling in Greenland?
The Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden), under the Act for Greenland on Certain Games. It supervises online casino, betting and lottery; municipal councils in Greenland license gaming machines.
Does a Danish online licence cover Greenland?
No, not by itself. A holder of a multi-year Danish online casino or betting licence can obtain a Greenland licence under s. 7 at no extra fee, covering the same games. The register showed 15 operators licensed in Greenland at 20 August 2026.
What is the gambling duty on online casino and betting in Greenland?
20% of gross gaming revenue, paid to the Danish state monthly (Act, s. 25). The Tax Ministry's table keeps the rate at 20% for 2027.
Can a company set up in Greenland get its own licence?
Yes, a one-year licence under s. 8 for Greenland residents and companies, with taxable gaming revenue of no more than DKK 1 million. The fee is DKK 68,700 in 2026.
Is lottery open to competition in Greenland?
No. Lottery and pool betting on horse and dog racing are reserved to Danske Spil under s. 6 of the Act, and online bingo cannot be offered under an online casino licence.
Does Greenland block unlicensed gambling sites?
No blocking regime applies. The Danish Gambling Act does not extend to Greenland, and the Greenland Act has no power to block websites or payments. Offering or advertising unlicensed gambling is still an offence punishable by fines.

Sources

  1. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 7 Apr 2016
  2. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 27 Dec 2016
  3. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 27 Dec 2017
  4. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 19 Jun 2025
  5. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 19 Jun 2025
  6. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 19 Jun 2025
  7. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 7 Dec 2011
  8. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 21 May 2021
  9. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 22 Sept 2025
  10. Spil i Grønland (Gambling in Greenland)

    Spillemyndigheden (Danish Gambling Authority) (translated)

    The Danish version says the municipal councils (kommunalbestyrelsen) license gaming machines and charity lotteries; the English version of the same page (https://spillemyndigheden.dk/en-us/businesses-and-associations/gambling-in-greenland) says the police do. Greenland Parliament Act No. 3/1990 gives gaming machine permits to the municipal council, and the Greenland Tax Agency says a public lottery needs both municipal and police permission. The statute is recorded.

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  11. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  12. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 20 Aug 2026
  13. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 7 Jul 2021
  14. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 3 Jun 2025
  15. Spillelov Grønland: afgiftssatser og beløbsgrænser 2026 og 2027 (duty rates and amounts under the Act for Greenland on Certain Games)

    Skatte- og Vækstministeriet (Danish Ministry of Taxation and Economic Growth) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 2 Sept 2026
  16. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 31 Jul 2026
  17. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 17 May 1990
  18. Landstingslov nr. 7 af 31. oktober 1987 om lotteriafgift (Greenland Parliament Act on lottery duty)

    Nalunaarutit.gl (Government of Greenland legal database) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 31 Oct 1987
  19. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 22 Nov 2011
  20. Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 18 Feb 2025
  21. Automatspilafgift (Gaming machine duty)

    Skattestyrelsen, Greenland (Akileraartarnermut Aqutsisoqarfik) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  22. Lotteriafgift (Lottery duty)

    Skattestyrelsen, Greenland (Akileraartarnermut Aqutsisoqarfik) (translated)

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026

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