Cbet fine overturned in Lithuania

An administrative court has ruled that the way gaming operators identify risk is a trade secret. The national regulator says the decision allows gambling operators to set their own rules.

Lithuania.- The Vilnius Regional Administrative Court has overturned a fine issued against UAB Tete-a-Tete Casino. The national gambling regulator had issued the €15,000 fine after the firm’s Cbet brand put betting limits on a customer.

The Gambling Control Authority said Cbet had had unreasonably limited the amount the player could wager, and their winnings, without good reason. However, in its appeal, the operator argued that operators had the right to limit the size of wagers without the player needing to have breached regulations or laws.

The court agreed with Cbet’s statement that both the risk factors and the mechanism of their identification are a “trade secret“. It ruled that there was no legal obligation for gambling operators to have approved risk assessment methodologies.

The decision “complicates the enforcement of the protection of gamblers’ rights”

Gaming Control Authority director Virginijus Daukšys said the decision could allow operators to set their own rules.

He said: “According to the court decision, gambling operators are given the opportunity to impose any kind of restrictions on gamblers and not to disclose the reasons for the decisions made by the entrepreneur, basing their decisions on the protection of trade secrets.

“These circumstances would complicate the enforcement of the protection of gamblers’ rights, may create opportunities for abuse by gambling organisers and allow gambling organisers to carry out their activities only in accordance with the rules known to them.”

The regulator may appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court.