The Lithuanian parliament (Seimas) has voted in favor of an amendment to current gambling legislation that will prohibit the promotion of gambling through advertising or promotional offers from July 1st.
The ban covers both the online and land-based gambling industries.
Lithuania already has strict laws in place to prevent the promotion of gambling through the offer of sign-up bonuses or gifts. However, the government felt that the current restrictions weren’t a sufficient deterrent and had little effect on the prevention of problem gambling.
The decision to place an outright ban on the promotion of gambling follows a survey carried out by Lithuania’s Gambling Supervisory Authority. Of 1,001 adults surveyed in November last year, 76% felt that gambling advertising should be reduced. 52% of those surveyed went as far as to say that gambling advertising should be banned completely while 22% said that only lottery ads should be prohibited.
Mantas Zakarka, a representative of Lithuania’s National Gambling and Gaming Business Association stated that a promotional ban could have a devastating impact on the industry and deter new operators from entering the Lithuanian market.
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.