Lithuania approves new Lottery & Gaming Tax Law amendments as operators set for six-figure charge

Lithuania
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Lithuania’s Seimas (Parliamentary Assembly) has sanctioned new amendments to the national Gambling Law and the Lottery & Gaming Tax Law.

This new development follows its recent decision to prohibit the sale of lottery tickets to minors, making it illegal for a person under the age of 18 to buy a ticket from January 2023.

Now, as the Baltic state continues to reform its gambling laws, the Seimas has introduced a new type of licence for ‘the organisation (of) remote gambling services’.

Amendments to the Lottery & Tax Law saw lawmakers approve a new licensing fee framework that will charge remote operators a one-off fee of €500,000.

Meanwhile, operators that have a land-based and remote presence will be charged €1m.

The introduction of a new remote gambling licence is deemed necessary for the government to separate remote gambling requirements from rules applied for land-based gambling businesses.

Under existing laws, gambling enterprises require municipal approval for licences that have been granted to firms that have established and operate land-based (terrestrial) venues.

A designated licence for remote operators will waive the requirement to have a domiciled business presence in Lithuania.

“The organisation of remote gambling, unlike land-based gambling, is not related to their execution in a specific territory (municipality), that is, remote gambling is carried out online throughout the territory of the Republic of Lithuania,” the amendment read.

“Therefore it is not appropriate to require the consent of the municipality when issuing a permit for remote gambling.”  

Businesses operating under existing online Gambling Law licences have been given a two-year period, during which they must transfer to a specific remote licence.