Australia-founded online casino and sportsbook Stake has secured a five-year online casino and sports betting licence in Denmark, almost exactly a year after it was removed from the UK market.
The company has not been without its critics over the past 12 months but is now setting its sights on a bold global expansion strategy after making waves in key markets including Brazil and Italy.
Denmark is broadly seen as a regulatory success within Europe’s online gambling sector, and Stake is now introducing its platform to the market. It is becoming an increasingly popular destination for heavyweight bookmakers, with LeoVegas recently launching in the country.
Stake set itself up to launch in Denmark in January last year via the acquisition of MocinoPlay, the operator of VinderCasino. This follows a similar model seen in Italy, where the firm set itself up for market launch by acquiring local firm IdealBet in 2024.
“Denmark has one of the most well-regulated and competitive gaming markets in Europe, and that’s exactly what makes it so exciting,” said Peter Eugen Clausen, Managing Director at Stake Denmark.
“With Stake’s arrival, Danish players can expect a fresh, world-class experience backed by global scale and strong local focus.
“We’re raising the bar in terms of product, transparency, and entertainment, and I believe increased competition from brands like Stake will only drive the market forward in a positive way.”
Players will have access to Stake’s casino and sportsbook, which includes a range of games, proprietary technology and a locally focused user experience.
From 1 March 2026, Stake Denmark will also open its new headquarters at Parken Stadium – Denmark’s national football stadium and the home of FC Copenhagen.
Stake’s much-scrutinised journey
Stake has had a turbulent yet successful nine years since its foundation. The company is owned by technology firm Easygo, which is also behind streaming platform Kick.
In Easygo’s most recent annual results, the Melbourne-headquartered firm reported profits of over £127m and held AU$5bn in total assets.
While Stake has held and continues to hold a number of local licences – in Brazil, Italy, now Denmark, and formerly in the UK – its international activity under a Curaçao has sometimes courted negative attention.
As mentioned above, the business is no longer licenced in the UK. This is due to a debacle in early 2025 which saw the company’s logo plastered across many viral posts on social media platforms X and Instagram.
The final straw was when its logo was displayed on a video of an adult actress outside Nottingham Trent University. This brought an end to a four-year stint as a licensed UK operator but did not – and has still not – stopped the proliferation of its logo on social media.
Just last week, influencer The United Strand was seen wearing pants on a live stream which were embroidered with the logo, ringing alarm bells about flaws in gambling safeguards.
Credit: cristiano barni / Shutterstock
The company’s US arm, which operates as a sweepstake casino, is another part of the business which has come under scrutiny due to its relationship with world-famous musician Drake. The business of sweepstake casinos is also a controversial phenomenon in the US in their own right.
In January this year, a Virginia class action lawsuit alleged that Drake utilised Stake.us as a conduit to artificially inflate streaming numbers for his music across platforms.
However, it seems to be aiming to get back on the good side of regulators, which is further highlighted by its Danish licence. This builds on launches in other licensed markets, with the abovementioned Brazil and Italy notable standouts.
Brais Pena, Chief Strategy Officer at Easygo, said: “Denmark marks our entry into the Nordics and represents a clear win in one of Europe’s most mature and high-value markets.
“With each new market, our momentum continues to build as we deliver on our global expansion strategy.”