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(AsiaGameHub) – The Ministry of Finance in Lithuania has suggested implementing compulsory ‘player cards’ to track the gambling behavior of individuals in both online and land-based establishments.
Scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2029, this measure would mandate that all gamblers possess a physical card. This card is designed to enforce stricter regulation of gambling habits and allow state bodies to track deposits and winnings across various betting operators.
A proposed amendment to the country’s gambling legislation detailed several key updates, including the card initiative. According to local media reports, these cards will associate gambling transactions with specific personal identities. The law also anticipates a steady elimination of cash transactions in betting establishments. These cash payments will be substituted by electronic payments tied to the player card.
The Gaming Control Authority is set to receive more distinct and robust powers to supervise adherence to regulations in both land-based and online gambling sectors.
A transition window of three years will be implemented to provide operators with adequate time to update or swap out their equipment to meet the new standards.
Nevertheless, specific adjustments regarding operations and market oversight are slated to commence sooner, starting on 1 May 2027.
Minister Vaitiekūnas highlighted the three-year phased strategy: “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.”
‘Strengthens the prevention of problem gambling’
Kristupas Vaitiekūnas, the Minister of Finance, stated that the player card serves as a fundamental tool for responsible gambling initiatives.
“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,” the minister remarked.
The new laws will mandate that operators incorporate identity verification, monitoring of transactions, and checks against exclusion lists into the player card infrastructure.
The suggestion for player cards is a component of a wider governmental plan aimed at reducing damages associated with gambling.
Starting on 1 July 2025, stricter rules on gambling advertising were enacted, which included increasing the legal gambling age from 18 to 21, taking effect on 1 November 2025.
Furthermore, gambling operators must implement technologies that can identify hazardous playing behaviors and step in to stop compulsive gambling.
The global move to sustainability
The reforms proposed by Lithuania are in line with an expanding European movement toward stricter player safeguards and regulatory enforcement.
Just last week, the government of Australia revealed a series of gambling reforms that included prohibiting gambling advertisements on TV and radio during live sports broadcasts and times when children are likely to be viewing.
Similarly, Ukraine has recently rolled out an automated mechanism to prevent military staff from using online gambling platforms.
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