Lithuania Tightens Domain Blocking to Combat Illegal Gambling

Illegal gambling sites and online fraud schemes are spreading across Europe at a pace regulators can no longer ignore — and Lithuania is now at the center of this fight. On 20 November, top Lithuanian state bodies gathered for a high-level, cross-institutional meeting to address a dramatic surge in fraudulent online domains. Authorities highlighted the rising sophistication of scams and the persistent challenges in blocking unlicensed remote gambling platforms.

As someone who works with regulators and operators across dozens of jurisdictions, I consider Lithuania’s move both timely and necessary. The country sits at a digital crossroads — and its ability to respond quickly will shape the integrity of its gambling ecosystem and broader fintech environment. Let’s break down what this coordinated effort means, why illegal gambling remains a critical threat, and how Lithuania plans to strengthen its digital defenses. Key Points

• Lithuania faces a sharp rise in fraudulent domains and unlicensed online gambling.
• A cross-agency taskforce met to accelerate blocking and prevention measures.
• The Gambling Supervisory Authority now oversees nearly 2,000 blacklisted domains.
• New rules from May 2025 allow gambling card payments only to White-List operators.
• Fraud across Europe now exceeds €4bn annually, much of it linked to Meta platforms.
• Authorities call for automation, faster coordination, and a stronger regulatory framework.

Lithuania Sounds the Alarm on Illegal Domains and Gambling Fraud

Lithuania’s government has moved into a more assertive stance against digital financial crime after reporting a significant increase in fraudulent online platforms, ranging from crypto-based investment scams to unlicensed gambling websites.

A cross-institutional meeting held at the Government Chancellery on 20 November brought together key state actors, including:

• National Cybersecurity Centre
• State Consumer Rights Protection Service
• Department of Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control
• Bank of Lithuania
• Debunk.org, the country’s leading fact-checking and fraud-monitoring organisation
• Gambling Supervisory Authority

The goal was clear: to improve coordination and speed in detecting and removing illegal online domains.

Illegal Gambling: A Persistent and Growing Challenge

Among all sectors represented, the Gambling Supervisory Authority emerged as one of the most active combatants in the field. It confirmed that:

• Lithuania currently maintains almost 2,000 illegal gambling domains on its blacklist.
• This number continues to grow as operators shift domains or mirror their sites.
• The authority is now the third most active institution in the country for domain restrictions.

Today, operators offering unlicensed gambling are blocked via court orders, with ISPs instructed to disable access to identified domains. Financial institutions can also be ordered to halt settlements associated with these sites.

2025 Brings Stricter Controls: White-List Payments Only

From 1 May 2025, payment restrictions will tighten:

• Card-initiated gambling transactions will be allowed only to operators on the official “White List.”

This mirrors regulatory models used in countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands, where payment blocking has proven one of the most effective tools against unlicensed operators.

The Wider Threat: Online Fraud Surging Across Europe

Officials also examined alarming trends from across the EU:

• €4 billion in annual losses linked to online financial fraud.
• More than 50% of reported cases traced to Meta-owned platforms — Facebook and Instagram in particular.

Scam networks increasingly use:

• deepfake ads,
• cloned websites,
• influencer-style content,
• crypto-based payment channels, and
• illegal gambling offers disguised as investment products.

As these schemes become more advanced, regulators believe that reactive enforcement is no longer enough.

Authorities Push for Faster, Automated, Better-Connected Systems

Participants in the meeting concluded that combating digital fraud requires:

• faster cross-agency communication,
• automation for domain detection and blocking,
• improved regulatory tools,
• stronger cooperation with global tech platforms,
• and a unified national strategy for digital crime prevention.

These recommendations align with the broader European trend of strengthening enforcement against illegal gambling, as seen recently in Spain, France, Italy, and Germany — all jurisdictions tightening controls on offshore websites.

Advertising Restrictions Join the Regulatory Package

This discussion also comes against the backdrop of Lithuania’s comprehensive ban on gambling advertising, adopted in November 2024 and set to take effect from July 2025. The advertising ban forms part of a larger effort to:

• reduce harmful gambling exposure,
• curb the influence of offshore operators,
• unify consumer protection rules, and
• build a safer digital environment.

Lithuania is stepping into a new era of digital enforcement — one defined by coordinated response, stronger oversight, and a firm stance against illegal gambling. As someone who has observed similar battles in markets from Estonia to Australia, I can say this confidently: domain blocking is no longer a regulatory accessory; it is a frontline defense. With nearly 2,000 illegal gambling sites already blacklisted, a White-List payment regime on the way, and a cross-institutional taskforce committed to faster intervention, Lithuania is positioning itself as a leading EU jurisdiction in digital integrity and consumer protection. The message to operators is clear: If you want to serve Lithuanian players, you must be licensed, transparent, and compliant. And to fraudsters: your window of opportunity is getting smaller. Tags: LithuaniaRegulation, IllegalGambling, CyberSecurity, EUCompliance, DomainBlocking, GamblingLaw

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