Lithuania clarifies rules for gambling ads

The Gambling Supervision Service has cleared up just how operators need to implement new warnings in ads and sponsorship agreements.

Lithuania.- The Gambling Supervision Service has clarified Lithuania’s new rules for the application of warnings on gambling ads, including how the rules apply to sponsorships.

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The regulator had originally advised operators that the obligation to carry warnings about gambling harms did not apply to sponsorship agreements.

However, the state legislature, the Seimas, passed a new law last week that states that sponsorships that resemble traditional advertising are covered by the rules.

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The Gambling Supervision Service has clarified that warnings are not needed when advertisements are worn on the clothing of an individual athlete or team, nor at events, or in the names of events, in which the athlete or team is participating. It is also not required in the names of sponsored events or teams.

But warning messages must be applied when a message does not refer to a specific event or in sponsorship messages that contain more than the brand name and trademarks, especially if the message mentions the types of gambling products offered.

The regulator also clarified that such deals must be referred to as “sponsorships” rather than “partnerships“.