Operating in Lithuania: 22% tax, ad limits
Lithuania is a licensed-only market with a dedicated online licence (no land-based venue needed). The minimum age is 21, 18 for lotteries; advertising is banned except four narrow forms, and LPT blocks unlicensed sites and, with a court order, payments to them.
Product by product
Every applicant must be a Lithuanian company (AB or UAB) or a Lithuanian branch of an EU/EEA company licensed at home, and needs the remote-gaming licence, the LPT permit and an LPT-approved gaming regulation.| Product | Status | Licensed by | Tax | Key restriction | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports betting | Licensable | LPT (remote licence, permit and approved regulation) | 22% of stakes minus winnings | No bets on events a person takes part in or influences, or on events created in real time for betting; capital EUR 289,000 | Betting operators only: name or trademark with the word 'lažybos' in set time slots, until 31 Dec 2027. Fine 3-5% of the previous year's gross gaming revenue (8-10% for a repeat within a year) |
| Online casino and live tables | Licensable | LPT (same remote licence, permit and approved regulation) | 22% of stakes minus winnings | Share capital EUR 1,158,000; platform and devices certified by an accredited lab and registered; players 21 or older | Banned except the operator's name and game types on its own site and premises. Fine 3-5% of the previous year's gross gaming revenue (8-10% for a repeat within a year) |
| Slots | Licensable | LPT (same remote licence and permit) | 22% of stakes minus winnings | A-category slots: payout at least 90%, capital EUR 1,158,000. B-category: payout at least 80%, stake EUR 0.5, game at least 3 seconds, capital EUR 289,000 | Banned except the operator's name and game types on its own site and premises |
| Poker | Limited | LPT (treated as a remote table game; the Act does not name poker) | 22% of stakes minus winnings | No poker-specific rule or rake model in the Act; LPT decides which game type an unclear game belongs to | As for Slots |
| Lottery | Licensable | LPT (separate lottery licence under the Law on Lotteries) | 18% of ticket nominal value | Big lottery: own capital at least EUR 144,000; small lottery: at least EUR 14,000 or a EUR 14,000 bank guarantee; tickets may be sold online | Banned except the four exceptions in the Law on Gaming |
| Unlicensed online casinos and prediction markets | Banned | None; no licence category exists | None | Offshore sites still serve Lithuanian visitors; stake.com loaded from a Lithuanian connection on 30 Oct 2026. bet365.com, stake.com, 1xbet.com and pinnacle.com are on LPT's illegal list; LPT blocks the domains and obtains court orders to stop payments to them. Polymarket was blocked in September 2026 | Banned |
Can an operator on a pre-July 2022 remote permit keep operating?
Six permit holders have no remote-gaming licence: Top Sport, Olympic Casino Group Baltija, Tete-a-tete kazino, Nese, Unigames and VSGA. Their permits were issued before 1 July 2022 and stay valid only until 1 July 2027. To continue, each must apply for the remote-gaming licence by 1 April 2027, and the old permit lapses once the licence is issued (Law XIV-580 art. 8(2), (4)). Betting advertising stays lawful until 31 Dec 2027.
Regulator and player protection in Lithuania
Which casinos & betting sites are licensed in Lithuania?
See the full official list of licensed operators and their authorised domains.
Heads-up for operators
4 items · last change 10 Nov 2026
Privalomoji lošėjo kortelė ir grynųjų atsisakymas lošimo vietose
The proposed amendments would require players in physical venues and remotely to obtain a player card, and would end cash payments at gambling venues. This announcement gives no effective date, so operators are not yet told to implement the changes.
Source: 1Not yet in our report
Player card proposed (draft Law XVP-1690)
Mandatory 'Player Card' System Proposed Proposed implementation of a mandatory, cashless 'player card' system for all online and land-based gambling.
Source: 2Checked 30 Oct 2026
Law XV-517 (adopted 13 November 2025) applies from 1 January 2027: a statutory self-exclusion register (art. 9-1, minimum 6 months) and a register of gaming devices. Draft Law XVP-1690 (Government approved 17 June 2026, notified to the European Commission as TRIS 2026/0439/LT, standstill to 19 November 2026) is not adopted: it describes a mandatory player card for all players with real-time checks through a central LPT system; its draft art. 31(2) would apply the card from 1 January 2029.
Show all 4Show fewer
Draft Law No XVP-1690 amending Law No IX-325 on Gaming
If adopted, operators would need to integrate with the Control Authority’s player-card system and check players’ eligibility and limits in real time across the sector. The notification gives no effective date.
Source: 3Checked 30 Oct 2026
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Getting licensed: apply to the LPT
Gambling tax: 22% of GGR
Effective January 1, 2025, the operator tax was harmonised. Online casino, slots, and sports betting are taxed at 22% of GGR (up from 20%).
Lotteries are taxed at 18% of the nominal value of tickets distributed.
Lithuania's gambling tax next to neighbours and nearby markets
Each bar is the headline operator tax as that country's own page states it, for Lithuania, its neighbours and the nearest other markets (marked “nearby”) that tax gross gaming revenue or sports-betting stakes. Hover or tap a bar to see what it is made of; a tax on stakes is drawn at its weight against revenue.
Which foreign licences Lithuania accepts
Lithuania recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.
Malta (MGA)
The LPT maintains a blacklist of unlicensed operators, including many MGA-licensed entities, for ISP blocking.
United Kingdom (UKGC) · Kahnawake (KGCB) · Gibraltar (GRA)
A UKGC licence has no legal standing in Lithuania.
Curaçao (CGB)
Curaçao-licensed operators are considered illegal and are subject to ISP and payment blocking.
Alderney (AGCC) · Anjouan · Isle of Man (GSC)
An AGCC licence has no legal standing in Lithuania.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses banned
Lithuania bans encouraging participation in gambling in any form and by any means (Law on Gaming art. 10(19)), and its four permitted forms of advertising may carry no added information (art. 10(9-1)), so a bonus, free bet or free spin cannot be advertised. The fine is 3-5% of the previous year's gross gaming revenue, 8-10% for a repeat.
- Welcome bonus
- Banned
- VIP schemes
- Banned
- Loyalty schemes
- Banned
- Cashback
- Banned
- The ban on advertising bonuses and on encouraging play applies to every gambling product (art. 10(9-1), (19)).
Until 30 June 2025 the law listed trial games, promotions, discounts and gifts as banned ways to tempt you to play. Since 1 July 2025 the list is gone but the general ban on encouraging play stays. The law does not deal with a free bet or free spin given inside your own account without any advertising.
- Channels off-limits
- Every channel except the four forms of art. 10(9) (betting time-slot spots until 31 December 2027)
- Messages ads may not give
- Enjoy the Las Vegas casino experience with us
- Would you like to try these new, exciting games?
- Mandatory disclaimer
Nesaikingas lošimas gali sukelti priklausomybę.
- Placement rule
- Betting operators' spots, allowed until 31 December 2027: at most 15 seconds, three an hour from 06:00 to 18:00 and two from 18:00 to 24:00; the information message sits at the foot in a black frame on white, at least 15% of the area, and is read aloud unless the spot is silent. No pop-ups online.
- Penalties
3-5% of the previous year's gross gaming revenue (stakes minus winnings paid) for an advertising or inducement breach, 8-10% for a repeat within one year (art. 29-2).
Licence suspension is a documented risk for failure to comply with regulatory orders following a breach.
Advertising is banned except four forms (art. 10(9)): the operator's name or trademark on its office or venue building; its name, trademark and game types at the venue or on its own website; trade publications; and, until 31 December 2027, a betting operator's name or trademark with 'lažybos' in set time slots. From 1 January 2028 the betting exception ends (Law XIV-3132).
| Date | Operator | Violation | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2025 | Olympic Casino Group Baltija (OlyBet) | The operator was fined for major AML failings and for illegally providing a high-risk player with €1.3 million in banned bonuses and incentives. | €8.4 million | lrv.lt |
Advertising: limited
As of 30 October 2026, gambling advertising in Lithuania is banned except four forms (Law on Gaming art. 10(9)). Betting operators may still run their name or trademark with the word 'lažybos' in short time-slot spots on TV, radio and the internet, and publish sponsor notices, until 31 December 2027; from 1 January 2028 both exceptions end. Casino, slots and poker may show only the operator’s name, trademark and game types on its own buildings and website.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Restricted | The law allows buying search-engine positioning, but the ad itself may carry only what art. 10(9) allows (LPT FAQ): for betting operators until 31 December 2027, the name or trademark with 'lažybos' within the time-slot rules; for other products nothing beyond the operator's name. Google's own gambling ads policy applies on top.589 |
| App Store Publishing | Licensed operators only | Both Apple App Store AND Google Play WHITELIST Lithuania for ORGANIC real-money app publishing by LPT-licensed operators: apps can be listed and downloaded freely from each store, subject to age-gating and the LPT licence verification. The July 2025 advertising ban targets PAID promotion / store-ad placements, not organic publishing.1011 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Restricted | Paid placements are internet advertising: only a betting operator's name or trademark with 'lažybos', within the time-slot and size limits, until 31 December 2027 (art. 10(9) point 4). No paid promotion of casino, slots or poker apps, and no bonus offers in any ad (art. 10(19)).5 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Restricted | Social media is not named in the law. A betting operator's ad on the internet falls under the betting exception and its time-slot, pop-up and size limits until 31 December 2027; for any other gambling product there is no exception, and posts that encourage play are banned in any form (art. 10(9), (19)). Meta's own policy requires its prior written permission for real-money gambling ads.512 |
| TV & Radio | Restricted | Only betting advertising, until 31 December 2027: the operator's name or trademark with 'lažybos' in spots of at most 15 seconds, at most three an hour from 06:00 to 18:00 and two from 18:00 to 24:00, with the information message shown and read aloud (art. 10(9) point 4(a); DIE-484). No other gambling advertising; from 1 January 2028 the betting exception is repealed (XIV-3132).567 |
| Sponsorships | Restricted | Only betting operators, and only as sponsor notices until 31 December 2027: the sponsor’s name or trademark and the sponsored party’s name, at the venue on stands, surfaces or sponsored persons’ clothing, in event announcements and programmes (art. 10(9-3)). Other gambling operators may not publicise sponsorship. From 1 January 2028 spreading information about any sponsorship is banned (XIV-3132).56 |
| Digital OOH | Banned | Banned: no billboard, transit or street advertising is among the four exceptions. The only outdoor form is the operator's name or trademark on its registered-office building or the building that houses a gambling venue (art. 10(9) point 1).5 |
Channel rules for Lithuania reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Lithuania enforces against unlicensed operators
The Lithuanian Gaming Control Authority (LPT) is one of the EU's most aggressive regulators regarding unlicensed operators. It uses ISP filtering and mandatory payment blocking, which has produced a high channelization rate to the licensed market.
- The LPT's public list of illegal gambling operators held 2,017 internet domains at the end of 2025; 208 were added during 2025.
- Since January 2025, all Lithuanian financial institutions are legally required to block transactions to and from operators on the LPT's blacklist.
- The strict enforcement regime has resulted in an estimated channelization rate of 85-90% of players to locally licensed sites.
Enforcement cases in Lithuania: 4 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Lithuania. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- May 2026
Olympic Casino Group Baltija (Olympic Casino, Olybet)
AMLFine €468,350After an unscheduled inspection, the LPT found the company did not hold enough information on a client's source of funds, assigned him a high risk level late, ran enhanced due diligence late and filed no suspicious-transaction report with the FNTT although several indicators were present. Decided on 7 May 2026; open to appeal.
Read-across: Source-of-funds checks and timely risk scoring of high-spending players are the LPT's main AML inspection points.
- March 2025
Olympic Casino Group Baltija
AMLFine of almost €8.4MThe LPT's inspection found the company did not take enough steps to establish where one player's stakes came from (December 2016 to June 2021), monitored his transactions only formally and did not report them to the FNTT; five breaches of the anti-money-laundering and gambling laws. The damage was set at €6.4M, and the company's failure to cooperate was an aggravating circumstance.
Read-across: This landmark fine signals a zero-tolerance approach to AML failings and raises the need for strong customer due diligence and transaction monitoring for all operators.
- March 2025
Unigames
AdvertisingCJEU ruling (C-120/24)On a reference from the Supreme Administrative Court in Unigames' case against the LPT, the Court of Justice held on 13 March 2025 that a ban on encouraging remote gambling through information on an operator's website is a 'technical regulation' under Directive 2015/1535, and that an amendment widening it which was not notified to the European Commission cannot be enforced against operators.
Read-across: A Lithuanian advertising rule that widened a notified ban without its own notification can be challenged; operators should check the TRIS notification of each change.
- October 2024
Top Sport
OtherFine €15,000 (upheld on appeal)The LPT fined the company (order DIE-986, 29 December 2022) because the video recordings of a betting point's cash desk were unclear and recordings were not kept while an inspection was running (Law on Gaming art. 15(2), (3), (5)); the inspection followed a self-excluded player's complaint. The Supreme Administrative Court dismissed the appeal on 9 October 2024 (case eA-544-629/2024).
Read-across: Venue video must show staff handling money clearly, and recordings must be kept beyond 180 days while a complaint or inspection is open.
Market size: 0.2741B EUR (2025)
Gross gaming revenue in Lithuania is approximately 274 million EUR annually. The most popular form of gambling is Online Gambling. A culturally distinctive product in this market is Online slots, Basketball betting.
- Online0.2024B EUR73.8%
- Land-based0.0717B EUR26.2%
Gross gaming revenue of gaming organisers as published by the LPT: remote gaming EUR 202.4M, land-based EUR 71.7M. Lotteries are reported separately (tickets distributed for EUR 167.2M, winnings paid EUR 91.9M). The LPT publishes no split by casino, betting or other product in this release.
GGR figure16
Licensed operators: ~10
As of 31 Oct 2026, approximately 10 operators hold an active licence in Lithuania. Size your entry against this base before committing capital. Check them yourself on the official Lošimų priežiūros tarnyba register, which lists each licensee and its authorised domains.
Notable licensed operators
OlyBet
Betsafe
Optibet
Cbet
Traps operators hit in Lithuania
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
Navigating the Near-Total Advertising Ban
Advertising is banned except four forms (art. 10(9)): the operator's name or trademark on its own buildings, its name, trademark and game types at the venue or on its own website, trade publications, and betting operators' 'lažybos' spots in set slots until 31 December 2027. Nothing may be added to them, and encouraging play in any form, bonus offers included, is banned (art. 10(19)). The fine is 3-5% of the previous year's gross gaming revenue, 8-10% for a repeat within a year.
Pre-July 2022 remote permits end on 1 July 2027
A remote-gaming permit issued before 1 July 2022 stays valid only until 1 July 2027; to continue, its holder must apply for the remote-gaming licence by 1 April 2027 (Law XIV-580 art. 8(2), (4)). As of 30 October 2026, six of the ten permit holders have no remote licence.
Mandatory Player Intervention Systems
As of November 2025, operators are legally required to deploy systems that detect patterns of risky play. If high-risk behavior is identified, the operator must intervene, which can include freezing the player's access for a minimum of 48 hours across all channels.
Sources19
Timeline: rules in force
- 3 Oct 2026
Government Resolution No. 731: new state fees
Operators using the Authority’s administrative services must pay the new state fees from 2026-10-03.
Source: 20Not yet in our report
- 23 Sep 2026
Government Resolution No. 692 on draft law XVP-972
The proposed increases to gambling tax and the one-time gambling licence fee are rejected and will not take effect under this draft. Operators have no new obligations from this resolution, which entered into force on 2026-09-23.
Source: 21Not yet in our report
- 10 Aug 2026
The requirements for remote gambling devices are amended to allow the use of cryptographically secure random number generators.
The draft amends point 49 to allow the use of cryptographically secure random number generators together with traditional number generators.
Source: 22
- November 1, 2025
Minimum Gambling Age Raised to 21
The minimum age for gambling under the Law on Gaming (casinos, slots, betting, bingo, totalisator) was raised from 18 to 21 by Law XIV-3080; lotteries stay at 18.
Source: 23
- July 1, 2025
Phased-in Advertising Ban Begins
A near-total ban on gambling advertising and promotion came into effect, which severely restricts marketing activities.
Source: 24
- January 1, 2025
Operator GGR Tax Increased to 22%
The tax rate for most forms of gambling was increased from 20% to 22% of Gross Gaming Revenue.
Source: 25
- 2016
Regulated Online Market Launched
The online gambling market is launched through amendments to the 2001 law. Operators need to be licensed by the Gaming Control Authority.
Source: 26
- 2001
Law on Gambling Enacted
The foundational Law on Gambling of the Republic of Lithuania is enacted, establishing the legal basis for regulated gambling.
Source: 27
One change concerns land-based gambling only and is listed on our updates page; this page covers online gambling.
Operator myths vs reality in Lithuania
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythAn MGA or Curaçao license is sufficient to operate in Lithuania.Reality
Lithuania does not recognize any foreign licenses. Operating without a local license from the Gaming Control Authority is illegal and will result in being added to a national blacklist for ISP and payment blocking.
Sources28
- MythWe can enter the Lithuanian market as an online-only brand.Reality
You can. The remote-gaming licence is its own category and needs no land-based venue: the place of remote gaming is where the services are provided (art. 12(6)). You need a Lithuanian AB or UAB (or a Lithuanian-seated EU/EEA branch), the licence, the remote-gaming permit and an LPT-approved regulation.
Sources5
- MythThe main compliance cost is the 22% GGR tax.Reality
While the tax is significant, the one-time licensing fees are substantial, reaching €500,000 for a remote license alone and up to €1,000,000 for a full suite of licenses, in addition to high minimum share capital requirements.
Sources25
Markets that work like Lithuania
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
- SwedenCheckedSpainReviewed
Online casino, betting, poker and lottery licensed; licensed market; GGR tax 20–30%; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly blocked.
- PortugalIn review
Online casino, betting and poker licensed; licensed market; GGR tax 20–30%; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly blocked.
- EstoniaCheckedSlovakiaChecked
Online casino, betting, poker and lottery licensed; licensed market; tax on GGR; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly blocked.
Methodology & sources
The research behind our Lithuania coverage
Counted across every Lithuania page, not this page alone.
compiled 30 Oct 2026
Across every Lithuania page on this site: players, operators and the licence guide. The research report behind them cites official sources: the law, the regulator, the gazette, the courts and each platform’s own published advertising policy. Page sections not yet rewritten from the report may cite other sources.
The same research as a 82-page Lithuania report: every one of the 201 checklist questions, each answer cited to the instrument behind it.
Request the Lithuania reportOur Deep AI Scan took Lithuania through all 201 questions of our regulatory checklist, from 76 official documents, read on 30 Oct 2026. Our research team then traced every figure on this page to the document and sentence that states it. The full research report is due to go to our compliance team. Where a fact rests on a press report or a law-firm summary rather than an official document, the page says so.
Documents cited on this page
- 1Dėl siūlymo įvesti privalomąją lošėjo kortelę ir lošimo vietose atsisakyti grynųjų
- 2EU TRIS notification 28448
- 3Lithuania: Draft Law No XVP-1690 amending Law No IX-325 of the Republic of Lithuania on Gaming
- 4Lithuanian Gambling Supervisory Authority
- 5Law on Gaming No IX-325 (e-TAR)
- 6Law XIV-3132 of 12 November 2024 (advertising)
- 7LPT order DIE-484: information messages in gambling advertising
- 8LPT: frequently asked questions (advertising)
- 9Google Ads Gambling and Games Policy
- 10Google Play Developer Policy Center (Gambling)
- 11Apple App Store Review Guidelines
- 12Meta Business Help Center - Gambling and Lotteries
- 13GovTech Lab - Gaming Control Authority Profile
- 14ELI Lithuania - Gambling Law Introduction
- 15LPT, 10 March 2026: the gambling market in 2025
- 16Gaming Control Authority (LPT), 10 March 2026: the gambling market in 2025
- 17Law XIV-580 of 14 October 2021 (remote-gaming licence; transition)
- 18LPT permit journal: remote gambling
- 19LPT order DIE-245: Responsible gambling rules (in force 1 November 2025)
- 20Dėl valstybės rinkliavų dydžių už Lošimų priežiūros tarnybos teikiamas administracines paslaugas pasikeitimo
- 21Dėl Lietuvos Respublikos loterijų ir lošimų mokesčio įstatymo Nr. IX-326 5 ir 51 straipsnių pakeitimo įstatymo projekto Nr. XVP-972
- 22Source
- 23Law XIV-3080 of 7 November 2024 (e-TAR)
- 24Law XIV-3132 of 12 November 2024 (advertising; art. 10 in force 1 July 2025)
- 25Ministry of Finance - Tax Information
- 26Finnplay - Market Facts Lithuania
- 27Law on Gaming No IX-325 of 17 May 2001 (e-TAR)
- 28Gaming Regulation - LPT Profile
The 10 documents this page relies on most
- Azartinių lošimų įstatymas Nr. IX-325 (Law on Gaming), adopted 17 May 2001, consolidated edition valid 2026-06-30 to 2026-12-31, e-TARRegulator
- LPT Director's order DIE-202 of 22 May 2025: Requirements for remote gaming platforms (edition valid from 2026-03-25)Regulator
- LPT Director order DI-678 of 16 Nov 2015: Requirements for remote gambling devices (consolidated from 2023-08-19)Regulator
- LPT Director's order DIE-245 of 17 June 2025: Responsible gambling rules (in force 1 Nov 2025)Law
- LPT director's order DIE-402 of 14 June 2022: Recommendations on the documents needed for permits and for approval of gaming regulations (consolidated edition valid from 2025-11-22)Law
- LPT director's order DI-607 of 8 October 2015: procedure for recognising laboratories accredited outside the EEA and their certificates (wording of DIE-208 of 27 May 2025; consolidated from 2025-11-01)Regulator
- Law XV-517 of 13 November 2025 amending arts. 6, 7-1, 7-3, 10, 10-4, 16, 28 and adding arts. 9-1, 15-3 of the Law on Gaming (in force 2027-01-01)Regulator
- Government resolution No 740 of 19 June 2001: Gambling licensing rules (Azartinių lošimų licencijavimo taisyklės), wording of resolution No 965 of 13 Nov 2024, consolidated edition valid from 2024-11-16Law
- LPT permit journal, remote gambling ('Leidimų žurnalas, Nuotoliniai lošimai')Regulator
- LPT director's order DI-231 of 2 May 2016: Methodological recommendations for drawing up a remote-gaming regulation (consolidated edition valid from 2025-07-09)Law
Also cited on this page
- lpt.lrv.lt
- Law XIV-2804 of 25 June 2024 amending art. 5 of the Lottery and Gaming Tax Law (22% from 1 January 2025)
- EU TRIS notification 2026/0439/LT: draft Law XVP-1690
76 documents in all. Request the full research report for every source, answer by answer.