Basketball Site Issued Fine By Lithuanian Regulator For Illegal Ads
Published April 22, 2021 by Sol FH
The Lithuanian regulator has taken a firm stance against illegal advertising, as local digital media business issued a fine.
Lithuania’s Gambling Supervisory Authority - Gaming Control Authority, has issued a fine against an employee of a digital media business for posting gambling ads on Krepšinis.net, basketball news, and information website after a court confirmed its regulator to take action.
The ads which were posted on the site were found to be hosting illegal gambling ads with slogans and animated backgrounds and featured bonuses, all of which are prohibited under Lithuanian online gambling regulations. Moreover, there were none of the gambling warnings, which are mandatory by the Lithuanian regulator.
Long History of Illegal Ads
The regulator commented that the basketball news website - Krepšinis.net, had been a “refuge for illegal gambling advertising for several years.” However, the site was not registered in Lithuania, which made it very difficult to enforce the national advertising regulations.
The Vilnius City District Court made a ruling that sportsbetting advertising on the site was not presented in a way that is legal according to Lithuanian law, as the site appeals to Lithuanian punters.
“With gambling advertised on Krepšinis.net, law-abiding Lithuanian portals found themselves in an unequal situation, and citizens were illegally encouraged to participate in gambling,” the regulator continued.
Although the fine was not that expensive, a mere €1500, which was directed to a single employee of UAB Media Digital, it should make advertisers think twice about how they petition Lithuanian punters.
