Lithuanian regulator issues first operator fine of €15,000

Following an inspection, the Authority found that the company had limited the amount of bets placed and winnings received by the player.

The inspection did not reveal any objective reasons for the operator’s decision to limit the player’s bets, the Supervisory Authority said.

The decision to issue a fine was based on Lithuania’s remote gaming regulations, which do not entitle the company to apply betting restrictions without finding a breach in regulations.

The regulator stated that the relationship between a customer and an operator may not be unreasonably uncertain, and a player therefore may not be restricted from participating in gambling without any objective grounds for the restrictions defined in the regulations.

This is the first fine imposed by the Gambling Supervisory Authority since Lithuania’s Gambling Act introduced the power to impose economic sanctions on operators.

The decision made by the regulator is not final and may be appealed in accordance with the procedure established in law.

In November last year, an employee of Cbet was fined €1,500 by a court after he was found to have breached national rules on advertising.

The employee was found to have breached rules introduced in November 2019, stating that gambling advertising was limited to only showing the name, trademarks and types of gambling an operator can offer.

It is not permitted for advertising to feature any additional written, visual or audio content.