Lithuania targets illegal gambling
The Lithuania Gambling Supervisory Authority is targeting illegal gambling and is seeking to get further powers from the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court.
Lithuania.- The illegal gaming segment is a major concern for the authorities worldwide, and that’s why the Lithuania Gambling Supervisory Authority wants to enhance its powers. The regulator wants the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court to let it block access and payments to unlicensed gambling sites.
The authority would gain the power to order internet service providers (ISPs) to block unlicensed sites. Moreover, force payment processors to cease all transactions with these businesses.
Lithuania online gaming
A recent survey from the Gaming Control Authority in Lithuania shows that online gambling activity in the territory has doubled in the past two years. These results come despite a decline in the number of residents interested in online gambling.
The regulatory authority said that in September 2019, 10% of local residents said that they had gambled, while 13% had said the same thing two years before. The survey shows that men under 29 are more prone to gamble, lrt.it reported.
The survey revealed that online gambling is still as popular as ever, just three years after its legalisation in Lithuania. From 2017 to 2019, online gambling activity rose from 16% to 30%. The average spending on online gambling or when visiting a land-based casino is €20.
Moreover, it was revealed that when gambling for the first time, Lithuanian people prefer to do it at a slot machine. The percentage increased from 26% in 2017 to 34% in 2019. Casinos come in second place but with a decrease from 25% to 22%, while betting shops totalled 19% in 2019.
