Manager in a gambling arcade - what does it mean?

This guide is aimed at managers in gambling arcades. Gambling arcades are premises with gaming machines. The guide covers the most basic rules for you, if you are a manager or want to become a manager in a gambling arcade with gaming machines. 

When you are a manager in a gambling arcade, you must ensure that the rules in the gambling legislation is complied with. 

Your most important tasks, among other things are to ensure:

  • That an employee over the age of 18 is constantly manning the gambling arcade
  • No one under the age of 18 is staying in or has access to the gambling arcade
  • That no players are staying in the gambling arcade and that no gambling activities take place on the gaming machines between 24 am (midnight) and 7 am. 

You can only be the manager of one gambling arcade. When you have been approved as a manager, it only applies to the gambling arcade stated in your application. 

If you resign as a manager or want to change your approval as a manager to other gambling premises, you must write to the Danish Gambling Authority. Please use the Danish Gambling Authority’s contact form. 

If you also want to be approved as a manager of a shop selling bets and lotteries located in the same premises as the arcade, you must complete and submit application form no. 8-01. 

Monitoring the gambling arcade

You must have an employee over 18, who is responsible for monitoring the gambling arcade at all times during the opening hours. The employee must, among other things, ensure that young people under the age of 18 cannot access the gambling arcade. 

A customer cannot be responsible for monitoring the gambling arcade. 

Presence in the gambling arcade

If the gambling arcade is manned, you or one of your employees must be present in the gambling arcade. If the gambling arcade is adjacent premises, you or one of your employees must be near the entrance of the gambling arcade and must be able to see the entrance from the place in the shop, where you or the employee are most often located. Such a place is typically behind the cash register, from where the customer is serviced. 

The gambling arcade must be manned at all times during the opening hours. If you or the employee need to leave the gambling arcade or the adjacent premises, the gambling arcade must be closed. If you or the employee cannot see the entrance of the gambling arcade from where you are staying, the gambling arcade must be closed, and it must be clearly visible that the arcade is closed. You could, for example, lock the door to the gambling arcade or chain the door. 

You or the employee cannot leave the gambling arcade or leave the supervision to a player, a customer or an employee under 18. You or the employee cannot do other work if this means that you are unable to supervise the gambling arcade. 

If you are in doubt about your obligations in relation to being present in the gambling arcade, please contact the gambling operator or the Danish Gambling Authority. 

Sale in the gambling arcade

No other business enterprise can take place in a gambling arcade. Sale of cigarettes or food is for example prohibited. In a gambling arcade, only sweets, snacks and beverages can be sold. However, it is prohibited to sell strong beverages with an alcohol percentage over 2.8 and above. 

Other games in the gambling arcade

There can only be gaming machines in the gambling arcade. 

This means that there cannot be any amusement machines as for example pinball machines, video games or betting terminals in the gambling arcade. 

You cannot offer other games in the gambling arcade as for example card games, lotteries or install a “Lotto” terminal. 

Guide to manager application

The application form is available at www.indberet.virk.dk. Enter “8-01 Ansøgning for bestyrer og personale” in the search bar. Next, you are guided to the form which must be completed, signed and submitted digitally. 

Visible information

By the entrance to a gambling arcade and in close proximity to gaming machines that are installed in a restaurant, café or bar, it must be displayed clearly and visibly to the player that persons under 18 cannot access the gambling arcade or gamble on the gambling machines. In addition to this, there must be references to the Danish Gambling Authority’s helpline on responsible gambling. 

By the entrance to a gambling arcade and in close proximity to gaming machines installed in restaurants, cafes and bars, the Danish Gambling Authority’s label must also be displayed. The label must be easily visible to the player.