Lithuania to Ban Gambling Ads

The Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday approved restrictions on gambling advertising, set to take effect from next July.

The amendments to the Gaming Law, passed with 73 votes in favour and one abstention, will introduce a ban on gambling advertising starting in July 2025. Exceptions will apply to sports competitions and events, as well as sports sponsorships and broadcasts of sports competitions, which will have a transitional period until January 1, 2028.

Next year’s budget for the Media Support Fund earmarks an additional 4 million euros to compensate media organisations for lost advertising revenue.

Among other things, MPs backed a proposal from the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance to have a transitional period until the end of 2027, allowing up to three betting ad spots of under 15 seconds each per hour on television, radio and online between 06:00 and 18:00 and up to two per hour between 18:00 and midnight.

For online media, betting ads without a direct link to the gaming operator’s website will be limited to 20% of advertising space from 06:00 to 18:00 and 10% until midnight.