SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Lithuania will proceed to tighten its gambling laws to strengthen problem gambling controls and ‘prevent irresponsible behaviours’.
On Friday, 8 November, the Seimas (parliament) approved ‘new provisions’ to be added to the Gambling Law of the Republic of Lithuania.
Headline measures saw ministers approve of Lithuania enforcing a new ‘consolidated gambling age’ of 21 years, to be effective from 1 July 2025.
The raising of Lithuania’s legal gambling age from 18-to-21 had been sanctioned by the government in January, with the schedule of Gambling Law amendments to be determined by the Seimas. Previously, the government had only enforced the 21+ age restriction on casino venues.
From 1 July 2025, a new gambling age limit of 21 years will be applied as a ‘centralised control’ on all gambling activities (land-based and online) except for the draws of Lithuania’s national lottery.
New ‘centralised controls’ will require Lithuanian gambling venues to employ a qualified and dedicated staff member to intervene in instances of irresponsible gambling behaviours.
The individual will be trained by the Gaming Control Authority (LPT) and will have the authority to intervene in a customer’s gambling or enforce a 48-hour suspension if necessary.
Further controls will be granted to Lithuania’s Gambling Control Authority to enhance its efforts to monitor and restrict access to illegal online gambling platforms. Gambling venues and online platforms will be required to maintain a system that records all information about gamblers and their transactions, while also providing the Gaming Control Authority with unrestricted access to review this data at any time.
Financial service providers will be mandated to block transactions associated with unlicensed gambling websites, further reducing access to unauthorised gambling channels.
The Ministry of Finance, which spearheaded these reforms, believes that the combined measures will create a safer gambling environment, reduce gambling addiction, and ensure that licensed gambling operators adhere to high standards of social responsibility.
In 2025, the new centralised controls will also apply to a new tax regime for gambling, which is set to increase the tax on income rates to 22% for slots, casino games, bingo, and online gambling.
