Denmark’s gambling regulator has launched a public awareness campaign warning parents about gambling-like mechanics in children’s video games, as the government renews efforts to restrict gambling advertising aimed at minors.
The Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden) launched its “Casino in the Children’s Room” (Kasino på børneværelset) campaign on October 26. The initiative aims to help parents recognize features that resemble gambling in games played by children and young people, while encouraging conversations at home about their potential risks.
The campaign shifts attention toward the content of video games, including the reward systems and purchasing mechanisms that can expose young players to gambling-like experiences. Its materials include a short film depicting a child’s bedroom transforming into a casino, alongside promotional activity on social media and installations in three Danish cities.
Anders Dorph, director of Spillemyndigheden, said parents should consider the mechanics children encounter while gaming alongside concerns about the amount of time they spend in front of screens.
“The debate about children and digital media is often about screen time. But it is also important to take an interest in the content of the games and the mechanisms that children encounter when they game,” Dorph explained.
Regulator Highlights Gambling Mechanics in Video Games
Loot boxes and gacha-style mechanics are among the features that have drawn attention from regulators because they can reproduce aspects of gambling through randomized rewards. Some games also incorporate similar mechanisms without requiring players to spend real money.
The Danish authority’s campaign seeks to make parents more aware of these features and encourage them to discuss games of chance and gambling-related risks with their children. It also directs families and professionals who work with young people to StyrPåSpillet.dk, a knowledge platform offering information about gaming, gambling mechanics and gambling addiction.
The website includes guidance for parents and educators on how to approach conversations about gaming with children and young people. The campaign is intended to help families understand what happens within games, rather than limiting discussions to how frequently or how long children play.
To communicate its message, Spillemyndigheden has produced a film in which a father enters his child’s bedroom and discovers that the room has become a casino filled with gambling machines. The visual concept illustrates how familiar gaming environments can incorporate elements associated with traditional gambling.
The authority has also arranged temporary storefront displays under the name “Casino Kids.” The façades resemble casino advertising and are intended to prompt people to consider the gambling-like features that may appear in games marketed to younger audiences.
The installations are located at Bruuns Galleri in Aarhus, Vestergade in Odense and Købmagergade in Copenhagen. Although the displays suggest the arrival of a casino for children, they are campaign installations designed to draw public attention to the issue.
Research Raises Concerns About Future Gambling Risks
Denmark’s campaign follows wider concerns about the potential relationship between gambling-like features in video games and later gambling behavior.
A report published last year by Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, identified a link between participation in gambling through video games during childhood and risky gambling behavior in adulthood.
According to the findings cited in the campaign coverage, 87% of people who purchased loot boxes before turning 15 displayed risky gambling behaviors as adults. The reported association has added to concerns about the possible long-term implications of introducing gambling-like mechanics to young players.
Loot boxes commonly involve randomized in-game rewards, while gacha mechanics use similar chance-based systems to determine which virtual items players receive. Depending on the game, these features can involve purchases or operate without real-money spending.
The Danish campaign focuses on improving parental awareness of these systems and their possible risks. It encourages parents to examine the games their children use and establish an open dialogue about the mechanics they encounter.
The regulator’s materials also address the risk of gambling addiction, giving families and professionals resources to discuss the subject with younger audiences.
Campaign Coincides With Renewed Advertising Restrictions
The awareness initiative comes as the Danish government has resubmitted a bill first introduced in October 2025 that targets gambling advertising aimed at minors.
The proposed measures include restrictions on the use of people younger than 25 in gambling advertisements and a comprehensive prohibition on gambling advertising during live sports broadcasts.
The package previously attracted criticism from the gambling industry. Morten Rønde, managing partner at Nordic Legal, described his reaction to the proposals at the time as “shell shocked”.
The renewed legislative effort and the launch of the “Casino in the Children’s Room” campaign address different aspects of young people’s exposure to gambling. While the proposed bill concerns advertising, Spillemyndigheden’s initiative concentrates on game content and mechanics that can resemble gambling even when presented within entertainment products.