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Lithuanian lawmakers and the gambling regulator have discussed prevention of gambling addiction amid plans to reduce the attractiveness and accessibility of gambling.
Gaming Control Authority (GCA) members met with the parliament’s Addiction Prevention Commission (PPK) on March 12 ahead of amendments entering into force this November 1, of which significant changes include raising the minimum gambling age to 21.
Under the changes, the CGA will be responsible for developing problem gambling prevention programmes, its chief specialist, Skirmantė Paukštienė, told Vixio GamblingCompliance.
“With the amendments coming into effect, responsible gambling policy principles are established. It is determined that the purpose of the Gaming Law is to reduce the attractiveness and accessibility of gaming. Furthermore, gaming operators are obligated to organise responsible gaming,” Paukštienė said.
A unified player card, which would track all gambling transactions, is also planned. The CGA has analysed the use of player cards in other EU countries in preparation for its proposal submission.
“This is a significant change requiring thorough analysis and contribution from both the business sector and the state, as it involves personal data, monetary transfers and big data flows,” Paukštienė said.
The finalised draft law amendments will be submitted to parliament for consideration. However, the CGA provided no timeline for when this will happen.
Finance vice minister Kristupas Vaitiekūnas went over several of the incoming changes, confirming that responsible gambling requirements and “significantly” increased fines will enter into force on November 1, 2025, while the platform will start operating on July 1, 2026.
Daiva Ulbinaitė, a member of the PPK, warned that changes are required because Lithuanian residents lose almost €300m per year gambling, half a dozen people request self-exclusion every day, and the number of people suffering from gambling addiction is increasing.
He called for more research into the impact of problem gambling, “especially related to the involvement of minors”.
“We cannot delay — it is necessary to initiate comprehensive, not fragmentary, research and, based on the experience of other countries, take effective decisions on how to protect the fate of our children,” Ulbinaitė said in a press release on March 14.
Lithuania has increasingly been exploring gambling industry restrictions over the past year in a drive to reduce problem gambling, including introducing a near-total ban on gambling advertising.
