Denmark’s Consumer Ombudsman has secured a DKK 500,000 fine against Entain subsidiary ElectraWorks Limited, operator of bwin.dk, after the company admitted to misleading Danish consumers with its long‑running “risk‑free play” marketing campaign.
Misleading “Risk‑Free” Claims
Between October 2020 and December 2022, bwin promoted offers such as:
- “Risk‑free play up to DKK 1,000”
- “Risk‑free play up to DKK 500”
However, the campaign’s terms revealed that the play was not risk‑free. If a customer lost their initial wager, they received a Freebet of equivalent value—but only net winnings from the Freebet could be withdrawn.
A consumer complaint illustrated the issue:
After losing a DKK 1,000 bet, the player used their DKK 1,000 Freebet on a winning wager, but was able to withdraw only DKK 15 in net winnings.
The Consumer Ombudsman reported ElectraWorks to police in May 2024, triggering the enforcement action.
Court Ruling and Fine Calculation
ElectraWorks pleaded guilty during the proceedings.
The Copenhagen City Court imposed a DKK 500,000 fine, calculated as double the company’s marketing costs for the campaign.
In its judgment, the court noted that a DKK 1,000,000 fine would have been appropriate given:
- the seriousness and multi‑year duration of the violation
- the fact that gambling advertising targets, among others, young people
- the intent to attract new customers to gambling products
However, the fine was reduced by half due to excessive case processing time, both before and during the court phase.
Regulator’s Message
The ruling reinforces Denmark’s strict stance on gambling advertising and consumer protection, particularly around claims that may obscure financial risk.
