Gambling Licence in Lithuania

From a gamblers’ point of view, a gambling licence is an indicator of reliable gambling conditions and smooth transaction of winnings. Licensed gambling businesses are regulated by authorities who supervise gambling operations and ensure that they meet all the relevant guidelines and requirements. Regulations for obtaining a gambling licence, however, tend to vary, and following them is crucial for new and already established businesses alike.

Regulated by the Gaming Control Authority under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania, gambling businesses may obtain one or more of the following licence types:

Table games and category A machine gaming
Category B machine gaming
Bingo
Totalisator
Betting

Upon request, a single company may receive all five types of licences. However, if a gambling company wishes to facilitate remote gambling, a special licence for online-only gaming must be obtained. All licences related to gambling (including the licence for remote gambling) are issued by the Gaming Control Authority.

Requirements and procedure for obtaining a gambling licence in Lithuania

Firstly, gambling companies are subject to capital requirements. Companies that wish to organize bingo, totalisators and betting must have a capital of no less than 289 000 euro. However, in the case of organizing a horse totalisator, this requirement is split in half and a company requires a minimum capital of 144 000. Companies that wish to offer gambling with category B machines need a minimum capital of 289 000 as well, and gaming establishments require a capital of no less than 1 158 000 euro.

A company that wishes to obtain one or more of the aforementioned gambling licence types must complete the following steps:

Fill out a prescribed form for the desired gambling licence type.
Provide proof of sufficient capital as well as other documents confirming the formation of the company.
Provide information on the company’s supervisory board, its chief executive officer and his or her deputy, board of directors, and chief financial officer. In addition, reports must contain notes regarding any participation in management of other companies that these individuals are linked to.
Provide relevant documents and information regarding the origin funds of the company founders and shareholders used to acquire the registered shares of the company.

The aforementioned documents must be submitted to the Gaming Control Authority via registered mail or email (in digital format). Receiving the final decision may require up to 30 days.

Licences issued by the Gaming Control Authority may be revoked if:

Following a warning about a possible cancellation of their licence, a company fails to eliminate the violations of licensing conditions in their activity
A company is accused of providing false data to obtain a gambling licence
A company is liquidated or otherwise ceases to operate
A company submits a cancellation request

Company in Lithuania UAB is a team of competent and experienced professionals who will provide legal guidance necessary for obtaining and maintaining a gambling licence in Lithuania. Contact us to schedule an initial meeting and escalate your business idea with confidence.

order now

Changes in Lithuanian legislation for online games in Lithuania in 2022

The Lithuanian Parliament recently adopted amendments to the Lithuanian Gambling Law, which introduces new online gaming licenses from July 2022. This is a big step towards expanding the legal online gaming industry and attracting global online gaming companies to Lithuania.

Currently, remote gaming activities can only be carried out by operators who are licensed to conduct land-based games and have a certain number of existing land-based playgrounds (i.e. at least 1 casino, 5 horse betting grounds, 10 gaming halls, 20 betting offices or 20 betting pools). This requirement to have a significant ground presence in the country has become a serious obstacle for foreign gaming operators to enter the Lithuanian online gaming market. All websites of unlicensed online gaming operators are still blocked and blacklisted at the initiative of the Lithuanian Gaming Authority.

The new online gaming license will allow gambling operators to purchase only a license for online gaming without a land-based presence and thus carry out gaming activities in Lithuania legally. One of the main requirements for online gaming license applicants will be a minimum authorised capital of between 144,000 and 1,158,000 euros, depending on the type of online games organized.

The amendments set a license fee of €0.5 million for remote gambling, €0.3 million for casinos, table games and Category A and B slots, and €0.1 million for bingo and betting offices. To be licensed for all these activities, companies will have to pay one million euros as of July 2022.

Operators of remote gambling or slot machines of category A will have a registered capital of at least 1.158 million euros. Minimum capital requirements will be EUR 289,000 for remote betting operators, B and bingo machines and EUR 144,000 for online betting operators.

Currently, organizers of all types of remote gambling are required to have capital of at least 1.158 million euros.

Gambling regulation in Lithuania

The supervisory body is an institution under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania, participating, together with other State and municipal institutions and institutions, in the implementation of the State policy on the management of gambling and gaming using slot machines and supervision of gambling and slot games in to ensure the integrity, transparent conduct of gambling and slot games activities, protection of rights and legitimate interests of players and persons playing with slot machines in the manner established by the Law on Gambling of the Republic of Lithuania.

In addition, the Gambling Authority is responsible for supervising and controlling the organization of lotteries in the Republic of Lithuania, as established in the Law on Lotteries of the Republic of Lithuania. The main task of the institution is to supervise and control the implementation of these activities in order to protect the interests and rights of players and operators.

These goals and tasks of the Gambling Control Authority are set out in the above-mentioned Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Gambling and in the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Lotteries, which regulates said activities in the Republic of Lithuania.

One of the main priorities of the Office for the Control of Gambling is to ensure the proper functioning of the institution ensuring compliance with the provisions of the legal acts governing gambling, slot machines and lotteries, as well as results-based management.

One of the main priorities of the Office for the Control of Gambling is to ensure the proper functioning of the institution ensuring compliance with the provisions of the legal acts governing gambling and lotteries, as well as the provision of activities, result-oriented.

The main functions of the Gambling Authority are:

issue and revoke gaming (both land and online) and lottery licenses;
issue permits for the opening of gaming, bingo, betting and gambling rooms (casinos), supplement, amend and cancel such permits;
to control the compliance of operators of gambling business and lotteries requirements of laws and other legal acts regulating the conduct of gambling and lottery business;
prepare draft legal acts regulating the conduct of gambling, games with slot machines and lotteries;
Maintain a register of Lithuanian slot machines.
Maintain a register of persons prohibited from gambling.
Gives out passports of slot machines, seals and special tokens of slot machines, enters the slot machines register.

The Gambling Authority’s administration consists of four departments – Licensing and Authorization, Control, Legislation, Personnel and General Affairs, and Type Approval and Registration.