Lithuania is set to ban gambling advertisements.
The Lithuanian parliament voted on restricting gambling advertisements in the country. The proposed amendment was passed with 73 votes in favor and 1 abstention.
As a result, the country will ban gambling advertisements from next July, except for sports matches and events, sports sponsorships, and sports match broadcasts, with a transition period until January 1, 2028.
A proposal has been supported that includes a transition period until the end of 2027, allowing up to three sports betting ads per hour, each no longer than 15 seconds, between 6 AM and 6 PM on TV, radio, and online, and up to two sports betting ads per hour, each no longer than 15 seconds, from 6 PM to midnight.
It is noteworthy that in May 2021, Lithuania voted in favor of an amendment meaning operators cannot conduct promotional activities, distribute gambling chips, or even offer gifts, discounts, or other promotional activities.
Online, gambling advertisements without direct links to operator websites will occupy 20% of advertising space from 6 AM to 6 PM, dropping to 10% of advertising space by midnight.
The budget for next year has allocated 4 million euros ($4.24 million) to help media organizations cope with this period, as they will inevitably lose advertising revenue.
Recently, there have been many discussions in other countries about restricting gambling advertisements.
For example, in Australia, studies have shown that alcohol and gambling companies target high-risk individuals with their advertisements on Facebook, prompting experts to call for government reforms to restrict targeted advertising to vulnerable groups.
Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Assembly's Cross-Party Group on Reducing Gambling Harm (APG) has been urging the Westminster government to take action and introduce stricter gambling advertising restrictions.
