Lithuania Plans Mandatory Player Cards for Gambling by 2029

Lithuania is preparing a broad gambling law update that would require every player to use a mandatory card across online and land based venues from 1 January 2029. The proposal also ties into a wider shift toward non cash gambling payments and closer state oversight of player activity.

Good to Know

• The player card plan would cover both remote and physical gambling venues.
• Some supervision changes are scheduled to start earlier, from 1 May 2027.
• Operators would get a three year transition period to upgrade systems before the 2029 deadline.

Lithuania Pitches Player Card Gambling System

A draft amendment from the Ministry of Finance would make a physical player card mandatory for anyone gambling in Lithuania. Under the proposal, the card would link gambling activity to a verified identity and track deposits and winnings across different operators. Cash use in gambling venues would also be phased out and replaced with non cash payments tied to the card.

The timeline is staggered. Changes tied to market supervision and some operator requirements are set to begin on 1 May 2027, while the player card system and non cash payment rules are scheduled for 1 January 2029. The Ministry of Finance said operators would have three years to replace or upgrade equipment.

Minister of Finance Kristupas Vaitiekūnas presented the player card as a central part of gambling harm policy. He said:

“It strengthens the prevention of problem gambling and ensures that the main objective, reducing access to gambling and its potential harm to health, is actually achieved.

“A three-year transition period is being set to give gambling operators time to upgrade existing equipment or replace it with systems that comply with non-cash payment requirements from 2029.”

The draft would also give the Gaming Control Authority stronger and clearer powers over compliance in both land based and remote gambling. Operators would need to connect identity checks, transaction monitoring, and exclusion list controls to the player card system.

Supporters are framing the package as a player protection measure. At the same time, the design goes well beyond standard venue level controls because it would let authorities see activity across the full market instead of inside one operator at a time. That reading is an inference from the proposal details and the card tracking model.

The plan also fits a wider tightening pattern in Lithuania. Advertising and sponsorship restrictions took effect in July 2025, and the country has already increased pressure on unlicensed operators through blocking measures and related enforcement tools.

The post Lithuania Plans Mandatory Player Cards for Gambling by 2029 appeared first on iGaming.org.