Danish Court Fines Entain Subsidiary for Deceptive 'Risk-Free' Betting Ads
A Danish court has fined ElectraWorks Limited, an Entain subsidiary, for misleading betting advertisements. The company was penalised after promoting 'risk-free' bets that failed to deliver on their promises. The Copenhagen City Court issued the ruling after a customer complaint triggered an investigation. The case centred on marketing campaigns run on bwin.dk, where ElectraWorks advertised 'risk-free play'. Customers were led to believe they could bet without financial risk. However, the terms only provided free bet tokens if the first wager lost—and even then, only net winnings from the free bet were paid out.
The court initially set the fine at 1,000,000 DKK (around 134,000 EUR). This was later halved to 500,000 DKK (approximately 67,000 EUR) due to delays in the prosecution process. During the hearing, ElectraWorks admitted to the misleading claims. Danish gambling regulations have seen recent changes, though case law on misleading ads remains limited. New rules coming in 2026 will ban betting ads during live sports, near schools, and those featuring influencers under 25. The regulator, Spillemyndigheden, will enforce these with fines.
The ruling confirms that ElectraWorks must pay 500,000 DKK for deceptive marketing. The case highlights ongoing scrutiny of gambling promotions in Denmark. Stricter advertising laws are set to take effect in 2026, targeting high-risk marketing tactics.
