Denmark’s gambling regulator has revealed that more than 60,000 Danes have now chosen to self-exclude themselves from gambling, while Slovakia’s registered total has surpassed 20,000.

Danish gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden’s Register of Self-Excluded Players (ROFUS) passed the milestone of 60,000 people last month, having been established in 2012 to allow people to self-exclude from online gambling, land-based casinos, and betting at licensed outlets.

The number of self-excluded people in Denmark has grown from less than 1,500 in the first year, with the growth partly attributed to increased requirements for gambling operators to provide information to customers about ROFUS. 

This has been supported by advertising from the Danish regulator in 2025 under the “Take it easy it with ROFUS” campaign, which aims to change young men’s perception of ROFUS and make exclusion from gambling less taboo.

“It is gratifying that those who need to exclude themselves from gambling are using ROFUS,” said Spillemyndigheden director Anders Dorph. “This shows that awareness of the tool is growing and that it fulfils an important function in the effort against gambling addiction.”

In general, younger men are overrepresented in the statistics for ROFUS, with data showing that as many as 58 per cent of all registered men are under the age of 40, and in the age group under 20 years, 96 per cent are men.

“The figures confirm a trend we have seen for several years – namely that young men are particularly at risk of problematic gambling behaviour,” continued Dorph. “Therefore, we work purposefully with information in this particular group, including through presentations at youth educations.”

Players in Denmark can choose a temporary ban ranging from 24 hours to six months, or a final ban that can only be lifted after one year. 

Meanwhile in Slovakia, the country’s Register of Excluded Persons (RVO) surpassed 20,000 last month, reaching 20,544 at the end of May.

In May, 513 self-excluded players were added to the list, while 186 people requested deletion.  

In the first year after the launch of the RVO in May 2020, there were 5,871 people who voluntarily self-excluded from gambling.

“Exceeding the twenty thousand self-exclusion threshold confirms the functionality and justification of this key regulatory tool,” said Jana Mravíková, director general of the Gambling Regulatory Authority. “For the Office, it is a signal that citizens perceive self-exclusion as an accessible and effective form of prevention. 

“Our goal is to create and maintain a safe and transparent environment in the gambling market. Data from the Register of Excluded Persons is a valuable basis for us in further setting the principles of responsible gaming and in targeted education of the public about the possible risks of gambling.”