Danes bet at weekends, play slots on payday

The regulator’s analysis of player habits showed that 40% of bets placed in 2020 came on Saturday and Sunday (22% for Saturday and 18% for Sunday), corresponding with the days when most European football leagues play their fixtures. This trend has remained consistent for the last seven years.

Furthermore, the research showed that slot machines were the most popular at the end of the month, when citizens are usually paid.

Last year, Friday 28 February was the day when most money was spent in slot machines across the country.

The most popular time to play slots appeared to be between 3pm and 4pm, on account of gaming venues closing at 7pm.

Spillemyndigheden director Anders Dorph said: “Market analyses such as this are one of the Danish Gaming Authority’s most important tools for ensuring a fair and well-regulated gaming market for Danes. 

“When we follow the development in game consumption and game patterns, we can be even more effective in our supervision of the game providers who have a Danish license. ”

Spillemyndigheden stressed the importance of monitoring gaming habits within the market, where channelisation reached a record high of 90% last year.

With regards to slot gaming, the figures show a steep decline in activity during the spring of 2020 and December of the same year, following Covid-19 restrictions.

The effects of the restrictions were felt by the likes of Danske Spil, which experienced a drop in revenue and profits towards the end of 2020.

Despite record takings from the online sector, the land-based shut down caused by the pandemic contributed to a 15.3% drop in revenue for the first quarter of 2021.