Lithuania plans mandatory gambling player card
- Lithuania’s Ministry of Finance has proposed mandatory player cards for all gambling activity, with full implementation planned for 1 January 2029.
- The cards would track gambling activity across operators in both online and land-based venues, and would be tied to a planned phase-out of cash payments.
- The proposal follows a wave of reforms enacted since 2024, including advertising restrictions and a raised minimum gambling age.
Lithuania’s Ministry of Finance has proposed a mandatory player card for all individuals who gamble in the country, in a measure that would create a centralised system for monitoring gambling activity across licensed operators from 2029.
The proposal, introduced by Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekūnas, aims to monitor players’ activity in both online and land-based venues, and forms a central part of Lithuania’s broader push to tighten gambling oversight. The measure is to be phased in through 2027 and 2028, with full implementation expected by 1 January 2029.
What the card involves
The player card system would track all gambling transactions, linking deposits and winnings to individual players regardless of the operator involved. The card would also connect to Lithuania’s national self-exclusion register, enabling operators to block access for individuals who have excluded themselves across the market.
The legislation also sets out the gradual elimination of cash transactions at gambling establishments, with a transition to non-cash payments required by 2029. Operators would be given time to update their systems accordingly under a three-year transition period beginning in 2027.
Certain regulatory and market supervision changes are scheduled to take effect earlier, from 1 May 2027, covering regulatory simplification and strengthened enforcement powers for the Gambling Control Authority.
Kristupas Vaitiekūnas, Minister of Finance, said:
“A three-year transition period is being set to give gambling operators time to upgrade existing equipment or replace it with systems that comply with non-cash payment requirements from 2029.”
The minister also set out the responsible gambling rationale.
“It strengthens the prevention of problem gambling and ensures that the main objective, reducing access to gambling and its potential harm to health, is actually achieved.”
Building on past reforms
The player card proposal sits within a multi-year regulatory overhaul Lithuania has been advancing since 2024. Tighter advertising restrictions came into force on 1 July 2025, with the minimum legal gambling age raised from 18 to 21 effective from 1 November 2025. Operators are also required to deploy systems capable of detecting risky play patterns and intervening to prevent problem gambling.
The age increase marked a significant step in that reform sequence, and operators have already faced enforcement scrutiny under the advertising rules, including a formal investigation into Olybet over alleged unauthorised branding.
The Ministry of Finance has argued that existing responsible gambling tools remain discretionary, allowing players to set limits with individual operators but without comprehensive market-wide enforcement. The player card is presented as a means of closing that gap.
Regulatory context in Europe
The player card proposal builds on Lithuania’s ongoing reform drive. The government argues that existing systems do not impose limits on a comprehensive basis, and that a centralised approach is necessary to ensure compliance across all operators.
Norway requires player cards for state-run interactive video terminals but does not extend the requirement to private or online operators.
Germany operates a centralised database tracking player deposits with a monthly cap, but does not use a physical card. Lithuania’s proposal, if enacted, would go further than either of those frameworks by covering all gambling channels under a single instrument.
Lithuania’s gambling market generated revenues exceeding €131m in the first half of 2025. The Dutch regulator’s governance overhaul reflects a similar European direction, as regulators across the bloc look to sharpen enforcement structures.
The proposal still requires parliamentary approval and must pass through the European Commission’s technical regulation notification process before it can be enacted.
For operators active in Lithuania, the 2029 target date provides a planning window, though the combination of identity verification, cashless mandates and cross-operator monitoring will demand significant infrastructure investment well ahead of that deadline.
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