Lithuania is the first in Europe with a central gambling card
Almost all types of gambling will require a player card in Lithuania, with the regulator announcing that according to a plan of the Ministry of Finance the law will come into force gradually through 2027 and 2028 and will cover fully by January 1, 2029.
The law applies to online, physical casinos and betting rooms. A card specific to the player and tied to the person’s social security number is required for gameplay.
The central player card ensures the player by managing four areas:
- Identity verification; where instant checking of the player’s identity and age is done.
- Player activity and transaction records, where all deposits, winnings and losses of the player are recorded by any licensed operator;
- Player security controls; through which the regulator can watch the player’s behavior in real time.
- Self-exclusion mechanism; linked with the national self-exclusion register.
Another change enforced by the reform will be the removal of cash. Starting January 1, 2029 gambling providers must make all transactions cashless and linked with the gambling card. It will increase operational costs for many, the Minister of Finance Kristupas Vaitieknas explained, “however, to a vulnerable group of players, it must protect against themselves”.
This reform follows other significant changes in Lithuania, a loss limit for players approved in June 2024, outdoor betting adverts to be banned in July 2025 and an extension of the regulator’s power by May 2027. All outdoor betting adverts will be banned by January 2028.
UK deposit limits postponed by Gambling Commission
The UK gambling industry faces further uncertainty after new deposit limit rules were delayed by three months. The extended waiting period adds yet more fuel to what has already been a heated debate about affordability and operators and players will need to wait for more information about Financial Risk Assessments and future customer checks.
Rules originally due to come into effect on June 30, 2026, are now slated to be implemented by September 30, 2026. From that autumn date, operators will only be allowed to offer gross deposit limits within a given period of time, although they can use rolling periods in relation to other restrictions. Operators will be obliged to present the limits in the customer dashboard again and to solely refer to them as “deposit limits” with display that is equivalent to any alternative financial mechanisms.
The three month delay may appear relatively small, but it is telling of the general timetable that safer gambling reforms are subject to. While the short reprieve adds fuel to industry speculation, taking it slower is the appropriate move at this generational turning point, the science of an individual’s affordability, in particular, is a precarious one.
Earlier, experts said that gambling reforms would not harm the UK economy.
The Austrian igaming sector is going to be completely reformed
The Finance Ministry has proposed new laws to open up its online gambling market. As a result, politicians will discuss the proposed bill before breaking up for summer recess in July.
It has been revealed that plans are underway to abolish a state-backed monopoly through leaked text. Austrian Lotteries’ Win2day currently has exclusive rights for the country’s online casinos.
Instead, multiple operators will be able to gain licenses under new proposed laws which means that the market will move from strict Austrian control to a market similar to neighbouring Germany. Lotteries are to remain a monopoly, but unlimited amounts of online casino licenses are to be granted at first for 5 years, at which point a dedicated online regulator will control the market.
However, there are a set of very strict regulations in place for all games:
- Deposit limits are to be set at 250 weekly for those under the age of 26.
- Older players can only spend 1,680 per week once checked for affordability.
- Stakes are limited to a maximum of 2 per spin, whilst winning limits are set at a maximum of 2,000 and jackpot games will be banned completely.
- Operators will be required to enforce a mandatory break after 90 minutes playing the same game.
- A national self-exclusion register will be enforced.
Technical features from slot machines will be added to their online equivalents in an effort to reduce the pace of games. The barrier to entry will however be costly. Companies applying for licenses will have to clear any existing Austrian court judgments against them and settle unpaid taxes back dated. Legal experts believe this will be prohibitive to small firms asBetathome left the market in 2011 after numerous player lawsuits.
