The Lithuanian government has stepped up its efforts against illegal gambling by updating key regulations. The changes aim to block unauthorized gambling operators from targeting Lithuanian consumers and undermining the nation’s regulated sector.
This update, proposed by the Ministry of Finance and approved in the Lithuanian Parliament, will significantly curb the ability of illegal gambling platforms to operate within the country.
Illegal Operators Will Face Significant Challenges
Lithuania’s new measures aim to limit credit/debit card payments to unauthorized gambling sites, strengthen consumer protections, and enhance the gambling sector’s overall transparency. Financial institutions in Lithuania must now block card transactions made to gambling operators not included in the government’s official “white list,” hindering their ability to target Lithuanians.
This “white list” includes only gambling operators licensed and permitted to operate in Lithuania. These companies will retain their ability to conduct customer transactions, leaving the regulated sector unscathed. While this measure does not extend to cryptocurrency or third-party payment services, it should still pose a significant obstacle to illegal entities.
Until now, payment card transactions to online gambling platforms did not include detailed recipient information, hinderin