Lithuania Casinos

Gambling in Lithuania has seen its up and downs. Prior to 2000, little to no gambling regulation was in place. To the defense of the Lithuanian government, it had only gained its independence in 1990. Before 1990, it was under the steel curtain of the U.S.S.R. like many other Baltic states.

A crackdown on illegal betting parlors and casinos took place once regulation was enacted.  This severely cut down the number of casinos in the country.   In order to operate a casino in Lithuania now, you need to pay a $1.1 million license fee and obtain a legitimate gaming license from the government. These extra steps and fees created an expansion of larger casino groups inside the country, with a large number of the groups being the same ones you’ll find in neighboring countries.

In order to gamble in Lithuania, players must be at least 18. However, this only allows the inclusion of bingo, and lotteries. To enter a casino, or bet on any other type of gambling, you must be 21 years of age.  Problem gambling is a priority in Lithuania and is addressed in its legislation. Some say it’s one of the best countries when it comes to curbing problem gambling.

One of the unique laws revolving around problem gambling is the ban on any type of advertising for casinos, or gambling in general. This means no commercials, print ads, or other form of advertising. The only exception is sponsorships on sports teams and venues. Smaller casinos have been known to skirt this law, but are always fined heavily when found in breach of this regulation.

Lithuania also has one of the largest self-exclusion lists in this area of Europe. Over 4,000 residents willingly applied themselves to be excluded from any form of gambling. This self-exclusion is an optional measure that must be followed by every casino.

When it comes to online gambling, Lithuania is relatively new to regulating this market. It wasn’t until 2016, that the European Union forced the government to establish some type of infra-structure around online gambling in the country.

Casinos in Lithuania

As with many surrounding countries like Estonia, and Latvia, Lithuania is populated mostly by larger brand casinos. Its neighboring country Estonia has seen an influx in the Olympic brand of casinos. That trend can also be seen in Lithuania.

The Olympic casino brand is the strongest in Lithuania with over a dozen locations in 6 cities. Kaunas was the first location of an Olympic Casino, but now are mainly found inside Vilnius, and a few in smaller cities.

Vilnius is the capital if Lithuania and holds the largest contingent of casinos in the country. Over 30 casinos call Vilnius home, with most being one of the 3 major brands.

Olympic - Gambling in Lithuania starts with Olympic, the largest brand inside the country. With over a dozen casinos, and dozens more outside Lithuania. After merging many older casinos under the Olympic name Olympic has become the number one brand of casinos in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. ,

Tete A Tete - Tete A Tete is another major player in Lithuania with a handful of locations featuring mainly slots. And like many of the casinos in Lithuania, all Tete A Tete casinos are focused on being player friendly.

Tornado - Casino Tornado has several locations as well, offering a wider range of gambling options that include certain table games, slots and entertainment outside of gambling.

Nese - Nese is a smallrr player in the casino market in Lithuania; but still a well-respected brand. With a handful of casinos in major cities, they offer clean and well run slot halls. As well as larger casinos in hotels with table games.

In total, there are 51 land casinos in Lithuania.

Lithuania Casino Games

Slot players will love gambling in Lithuania. Over 1,100 machines are spread out over the 51 casinos. Most of the casinos will be slot only parlors, but some will have other games spread on the casino floor. Table games make up about 10% of the overall games found in casinos. Blackjack, Roulette, Craps and other popular games can be found at some of the larger casinos.

Poker in Lithuania

Olympic is the main provider of poker in Lithuania. At any given time, around 33 poker tables are open on a daily basis in the country. Poker tournaments are found at the larger casinos, with cash games also available to a smaller degree.

Most tables will have No Limit Hold Em, with PLO, and possibly other games found on occasion. Poker is an “On Demand” type of game in some casinos. If players want more tables, they may open more tables. If a specific game wants to be played, the dealers may oblige.

Sports Betting and Other Gambling

Sports betting is found at almost all casinos in Lithuania. Licenses to operate a casino in the country cover table games, slots, and sports betting which allows anyone with a license to offer sports betting.

Again, Olympic is the primary place for sports betting. They even have an OlyBet Sports Bar brand found at all locations that offers a comfortable place to bet, and watch the games.

Online Gambling Trends in Lithuania

Since state regulations were introduced to the Lithuanian online gambling market, it has been growing rapidly. The local community of players and bettors now has access to 10s of reliable and regulated Lithuania-friendly casinos. Their activity results in interesting data that allows us to see the latest trends in Lithuanian iGaming. In terms of revenue, online betting emerged as the dominant player, contributing nearly €24 million, capturing the largest share. Online slot machines followed behind with €15.3 million in gross gaming revenue, while online tables represented a smaller portion, contributing slightly over €420,000.

Another noteworthy tendency of the local gambling market is the fact that revenue from land-based gambling declined, while those generated online, have been showing consistent growth. The year-on-year increase in gross gambling revenue reached an impressive 31.5 percent, while there was a year-on-year decline of 22.5 percent in land-based gaming revenue. Overall, the online gambling market in Lithuania holds great promise and potential. Regulatory frameworks and licensing requirements provide a stable and transparent environment, ensuring consumer protection and fostering trust among participants.

Lithuania Gambling Summary

Like many of its neighbors, Lithuania is adopting a pro-active approach when it comes to casinos. Its structure, and even style of casinos closely follows the format of places like Estonia and Latvia. There are still strides that need to be made on the online front, but that should come to a much clearer space in no time.