New Gambling Bill Passed in Lithuania

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13.02.2020, 18:24

Lithuanian legislature just passed a new bill that states that all gambling advertisements must include a warning about the potential harms which are related to gambling. The new bill will become a law starting July 1st, 2020. After that moment, all advertising material regarding gambling will have to include a warning about gambling risks.

Controlling the Gambling Sector

The new bill has been proposed by the leader of the Homeland Union Lithuanian Christian Democratic party, Mykolas Majauskas. During its first reading, there were no objections to the bill. As Mykolas implies, gambling is not bad but the country needs to control the industry to minimize potential negative effects and make the best from it.

The Lithuanian gambling authority, Lošimų Priežiūros Tarnyba, will be the regulatory body that decided the warning content. The authority will further work on guidelines and provide help to operators in the change-process.

Mykolas said that other European Union countries have similar gambling-related problems with advertising and said that the gambling sector won’t be attacked but that people have to be educated about the industry in order to avoid future problem gambling. Later, the bill aims at helping the ones with gambling issues and the ones who were or are close to these people.

For Majauskas: “One of the basic tools for solving problems is public education, education through social advertising.”