Danish regulator launches campaign on gambling-like features in kids' games

The Danish Gambling Authority has launched a public awareness campaign to help parents identify gambling-style features in video games played by children.

The initiative, titled "Casino in the Children’s Room", seeks to shift the conversation around young people's gaming habits beyond screen time and towards the content and mechanics embedded within many games.

A key focus is the growing presence of features that mirror elements of traditional gambling, including loot boxes, random reward systems and in-game purchases.

According to the regulator, these mechanics are common in many titles aimed at younger audiences.

"The debate about children and digital media is often about screen time. But it’s also important to take an interest in the content of the games and the mechanisms children encounter," said Anders Dorph, director of the regulator.

As part of the campaign, the regulator has released a short film that transforms a child’s bedroom into a casino, highlighting how gambling-inspired themes and reward structures can appear in games designed for younger players.

The authority is also directing parents to the information platform StyrPåSpillet.dk, which offers guidance on gaming, gambling-like features in video games, the risks associated with gambling addiction and ways to have constructive discussions with children about their gaming habits.

To raise the profile of the campaign, three temporary storefront installations styled as casinos have been created in prominent locations across Denmark.

The displays, branded "Casino Kids", have been installed at Bruuns Galleri in Aarhus, Vestergade in Odense and Købmagergade in Copenhagen.

The installations are intended to encourage parents and other members of the public to consider whether the games children play contain gambling-like mechanics.

Denmark isn't the first country to draw attention to the potential risks associated with such features.

Last year, a report from the Swedish gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, identified an association between purchasing loot boxes as a minor and the development of problematic gambling habits later in life.

Among respondents who had bought loot boxes before turning 15, 87 per cent went on to display risky gambling behaviours as adults.

Meanwhile, the Danish government is advancing gambling reforms.

Earlier this month, the government announced the resubmission of legislation proposed in October 2025 that would impose new restrictions on gambling advertising in Denmark.

The proposed measures include a ban on featuring individuals under the age of 25 in gambling advertisements as well as the prohibition on gambling marketing during live sports broadcasts.

The measures, which were introduced by Tax and Growth Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt, are slated for a phased introduction between January and October of 2027.