Lithuanian regulator warns unlicensed operators

The Authority, which operates under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania, reminded operators that the Gaming Law of the Republic of Lithuania states that all operators require a permit to offer remote gambling services.

Instances of offering remote gambling illegally will see operators added to Lithuania’s blacklist of illegal gambling operators.

In addition to the warning, last week the regulator added a number of sites using the Slottica brand, owned by Atlantic Management, to the list. The original Slottica.com domain had already been on the blacklist, with the new additions being a number of other backup domain names that also directed to its site.

For offering illegal gambling services, the Authority stipulated that operators can face payment blocking and domain name system blocking, which prevents those with Lithuania-based IP addresses from accessing the site. This is outlined in Lithuania’s Gaming Law.

The regulator has also taken recent action against licensed operators that violate its rules. Enlabs subsidiary UAB Baltic Bet was found to have broken the country’s bonus ban, but the regulator opted not to apply sanctions.

Earlier this month, Lithuania’s anti-corruption body warned that a proposed bill, which would allow online gaming licences only, would provide an unfair advantage to online operators compared to land-based. Currently, all online licensees must have a land-based operation or partner with a business that does.