Following a national survey conducted in November by the Gambling Supervisory Authority, in which 52% of participants expressed support of a ban, the Lithuanian parliament voted in favour of the gambling law alteration. From July 1 2021 onwards, gambling operators will be prohibited to promote their business in public. The ban also includes chips or gift giveaways, as well as discounts, test games and events.
The government stated the step was necessary to combat problem gambling in Lithuania, while advertising rules had been strict already before the ban. During the Covid pandemic, a recommendation of the government was directed towards gambling operators, asking them to cut down on the advertisements while lockdown measures are in place.
Several complaints were filed later on, stating that the providers were not adhering to the recommendation. Instead, gambling adverts highly increased, while the industry suffered a draw-back overall due to the Covid-related restrictions.