Gaming in the Nordics kicks off strong in Copenhagen

• Gaming in the Nordics launched at Better Collective’s Copenhagen HQ on 18 June 2026, with organiser Willem van Oort calling it a fantastic success.
• Anders Dorph of Spillemyndigheden and Betsson CEO Pontus Lindwall headlined a lineup spanning regulators, operators and trade bodies from four Nordic markets.
• A full annual Gaming in the Nordics Conference will launch in Copenhagen from 2027, building on the launch event’s momentum.

Gaming in the Nordics closed its inaugural Copenhagen event on 18 June 2026 with organiser Willem van Oort declaring the launch a fantastic success, as regulators and operators from across the Nordic region debated the future of iGaming compliance.

Regulator sets the tone

The half-day event, held at Better Collective’s headquarters, drew regulators, operators and industry bodies from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Anders Dorph, director of Danish regulator Spillemyndigheden, addressed operator compliance, the role of Big Tech and player monitoring.

Dorph has led the regulator since November 2020 and currently chairs the Gaming Regulators’ European Forum, giving him a pan-European vantage point on the sector.

Morten Ronde, CEO of the Danish Online Gambling Association, said the mix of Scandinavian pragmatism and early adoption would see Nordic markets deploy the next generation of iGaming regulation first.

Anders Dorph, director of Spillemyndigheden, said:

“are all very eager to be compliant. […] The industry [in Denmark] wants to be compliant. And that is a fact.”

His comments reflect a market that has operated under a licensed framework since 2012, with new supplier and advertising rules currently working through parliament.

Channelization takes centre stage

Pontus Lindwall, CEO of Betsson, and Jesper Kärrbrink, CEO of Immense Group, gave an operator’s perspective on regulation across the region. Lindwall listed three prerequisites for a healthy, high-channelization market: a competitive product, meaningful player protections and real enforcement.

Pontus Lindwall, CEO of Betsson, said:

“We are in a business where there is harm. We must admit this and reflect on this. We also need to be able to reach these players, which we can only do if they are inside of the regulated system.”

Jesper Søgaard

A region in transition

The four markets sit at very different stages of maturity. Sweden’s competitive licensing model dates to 2019, while Finland only signed its new Gambling Act into law in January 2026, with a licensed market not opening until 1 July 2027. Norway remains a state monopoly, run through Norsk Tipping, with no confirmed liberalisation timeline.

That divergence, rather than a shared rulebook, is what organiser Gaming in Europe is betting will drive useful dialogue. The event follows a run of new brands entering Nordic markets this year as licensing regimes mature across the region.

Willem van Oort, founder of Gaming in the Nordics, said:

“I think the Gaming in the Nordics Launch Event was a fantastic success. The event featured key decision makers and thought leaders from the Nordics. I particularly enjoyed the fact that on several occasions there was a real meeting of the minds among the speakers and other participants. I am very much looking forward to repeating this experience next year on a larger scale.”

Gaming in Europe, the group behind the event, was founded by Willem van Oort, an independent, Barcelona-based business consultant, and also runs Gaming in Holland, Gaming in Spain and Gaming in Germany.

The format has already proven itself elsewhere in the group’s portfolio. A comparable limited-capacity launch for Gaming in Finland debuted at ICE Barcelona in January 2026 before scaling into a full annual event, a trajectory organisers are now applying to the Nordics.

Other confirmed participants included Jesper Søgaard of Better Collective, Birgitte Sand of Birgitte Sand & Associates, Pekka Ilmivalta of Nordic Legal Finland, Josh Hodgson of H2 Gambling Capital, Daniel Valiollahi of BOS, Rasmus Kjaergaard of Mindway AI, Jeffrey Haas of Blask, and day chair Peter-Paul de Goeij of QuodBonum.se.

Capacity at the event was limited, with attendees placed on a waiting list and key sessions recorded for the launch event’s community.

As Finland’s market opening and Norway’s regulatory debate progress, the format tested in Copenhagen will shape how regulators and operators approach the full conference agenda and focus arriving in 2027.