Company in Lithuania UAB – Practice areas – Financial Licenses in Lithuania – Lithuania Gambling License

Lithuania Gambling License

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.

Gambling License in Lithuania

PACKAGE «COMPANY & GAMBLING LICENSE IN LITHUANIA»

35,000 EUR

Application for a remote gaming license within State Gaming Control Authority under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania

Reviewing the business operation model and determining the compliance accordingly
Consultations on the compliance of planned operations
Drafting corporate documents for establishment of a private limited liability company in Lithuania
Representation of the Client/ company to be established at the notary and/ or Register Centre of the Republic of Lithuania
Preparation and drafting of shareholder & officer agreements.
Preparation and drafting of requisitie narrative business plan to Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania
Prepare required five three financial projections.
Preparation and drafting of current financial statements
Preparation and drafting of personal financial statements for owner(s)
Identification and draft letters naming principal Lithuania directors
Draft and prepare client service agreements & website disclosures
Preparation and drafting of Lithuania gaming license application
Communication with the Control Authority
Respond and draft responses to regulator application inquiries
Establish corporate bank accounts suitable for gaming operations
Prepration and drafting of AML/KYC policies, procedures and related documents.
Establish payment processing accounts suitable for gaming operations
Provide for required physical presence, local directors and operating permits

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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.

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 LICENSE IN LITHUANIA

Period for consideration	3–6 months	Annual fee for supervision	No
State fee for application	€1,279-€1,404	Local staff member	Required
Required share capital	144,000–1,158,000 €	Physical office	Required
Corporate income tax	from 5 %	Accounting audit	Required

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.

Frequently asked questions

The gambling licence is an indicator of smooth transactions of winnings and reliable gambling conditions for gamblers.Gambling operations are supervised and required to meet all the guidelines and requirements by authorities who regulate licensed gambling businesses. It is important for new and already established businesses alike to follow the rules and regulations that pertain to obtaining a gambling license.

There are several types of licenses available to gambling businesses, all of which are regulated by the Gaming Control Authority under the Ministry of Finance of Lithuania:

Gaming machines and table games in category A
Gaming machines in category B
Bingo
Totalisator
Betting

Each type of licence can be obtained by a single company upon request. Gambling companies that wish to facilitate remote gambling must obtain a special license for internet-only gambling. Licensed gambling activities are regulated by the Gaming Control Authority, which also issues remote gambling licenses.

Capital requirements apply to gambling companies. The minimum capital requirement for bingo, totalisators, and betting companies is 289 000 euros. A company requires 144 000 in capital to organize a horse totalisator, but 144 000 in capital for organizing a horse totalisator. The minimum capital requirement for companies offering gambling with category B machines is also 289 000, and 1 158 000 euro is the minimum capital requirement for gaming establishments.

It is necessary for companies who wish to obtain a gambling licence to follow the following steps:

The gambling licence type must be filled out on the prescribed form.
The company’s formation must be confirmed with documents confirming sufficient capital.
Information on the company’s board of directors, the chief executive officer, and the deputy chief executive officer, as well as its chief financial officer is provided. Moreover, reports must note the participants’ participation in management at other companies with which they are affiliated.
You should provide relevant information and documents regarding the fund sources from which the company founders and shareholders acquired the registered shares.

It is necessary to submit the above documents via registered mail or email (in digital format) to the Gaming Control Authority. It may take up to 30 days for the final decision to be received.

Revocation of a Gaming Control Authority licence may occur in the following circumstances:

In spite of being warned about the possibility of their licence being revoked, a company fails to comply with licensing conditions
False data was provided to get a gambling license by a company
The liquidation or ceasing of operations of a company
Cancellation request is submitted by a company

A new online gaming license will be available from July 2022, thanks to amendments to Lithuania’s Gambling Law recently adopted by the Lithuanian Parliament. It is an important step in attracting global online gaming companies to Lithuania and expanding the legal online gaming industry.

Operators wishing to conduct remote gaming activities must be licensed to conduct land-based games and have established land-based playgrounds (i.e. at least one casino, five horse betting grounds, ten gaming halls, twenty betting offices, or twenty betting pools). For foreign gaming operators who wish to enter the Lithuanian online gaming market, having a significant ground presence has become a serious obstacle. At the initiative of the Lithuanian Gaming Authority, all unlicensed online gaming operator’s websites are still blocked and blacklisted.

Under the new license, gambling operators will be able to carry out gaming activities in Lithuania legally by purchasing only an online gaming license without a land-based presence. There will be a minimum authorised capital requirement of 144,000 to 1,158,000 euros for online gaming license applicants, depending on the type of games.

Casinos, table games, and Category A and B slots will pay a license fee of €0.3 million, and bingo and betting offices will pay a license fee of €0.1 million. From July 2022, companies will need to pay one million euros in order to be licensed for all these activities.

A minimum of 1.158 million euros in capital is required for operators of remote gaming or slot machines of category A.For remote betting operators, B machines, and bingo machines, the minimum capital requirements will be EUR 289,000, while the minimum capital requirements for online betting operators will be EUR 144,000.

There is currently a capital requirement of 1.158 million euro for all forms of remote gambling.

According to the Law on Lotteries of the Republic of Lithuania, the Gambling Authority supervises and controls the organization of lotteries in the Republic of Lithuania. In order to protect players’ and operators’ interests and rights, the institution’s primary role is to supervise and control these activities.

Accordingly, the Gambling Control Authority is responsible for fulfilling the goals and duties outlined in the Lithuanian Gambling Law and the Lithuanian Lottery Law, which regulate these activities in our country.

The Office for the Control of Gambling is primarily concerned with ensuring that gambling, slot machines, and lotteries are operated in accordance with the legal acts governing them, as well as managing the institution based on results.

Accordingly, the Gambling Control Authority is responsible for fulfilling the goals and duties outlined in the Lituanian Gambling Law and the Lituanian Lottery Law, which regulate these activities in our country.

Office for the Control of Gambling aims to ensure proper functioning of its institution by complying with the regulations governing gambling and lotteries, as well as provide results-oriented activities.

In general, the Gambling Authority performs the following functions:

Licensing land-based and online gaming as well as lotteries;
Permits for the operation of gaming, bingo, betting and gambling rooms (casinos), their amendments, supplements, and cancellations;
Ensure that gambling and lottery operators comply with laws and other legal acts governing their conduct;
Draft regulations for gambling, games with slot machines, and lotteries;
Keep a record of all Lithuanian slot machines.
Maintain a list of people who are not permitted to gamble.
Provides passports, seals, and special tokens for slot machines, and enters their information into the slot machines register.

Licenses and authorization, control, legislation, personnel, general affairs, and type approval and registration make up the administration of the Gambling Authority.