Lithuania Endorses Player Card as Primary Gambling Control Measure

(AsiaGameHub) –   Lithuania has restated its commitment to using mandatory player cards as the key reform in its revamp of gambling regulations, which will be fully implemented by 2029.

The Gambling Control Authority of Lithuania told SBC News that this mechanism—approved via amendments to Lithuania’s Gaming Law by the Ministry of Finance—was viewed as a new central regulatory tool.

While some find the measure controversial, the Ministry of Finance supported it, arguing that stricter controls are necessary to boost consumer protections and enhance operators’ compliance with rules in this high-risk sector.

Under the new framework, all customers using services from the country’s 18 licensed land-based casinos, 50 arcade halls, and 10 online gambling operators must use a personalized card linked directly to their player profile and national ID. This mandatory requirement will be rolled out in phases between 2027 and 2028 as part of updates to the Gaming Law.

These reforms position Lithuania among Europe’s most heavily regulated gambling markets, introducing what officials describe as the first centralized gambling system implemented by an EU member state.

The framework integrates identity verification, spending oversight, and responsible gambling protections into a single system. Poland and Norway’s regulators have used player cards before, but primarily to control access to land-based slot machines by checking customer IDs and tracking play time.

Speaking to SBC, the Lithuanian Gambling Control Authority emphasized that this initiative is part of a broader responsible gambling strategy rather than a player surveillance program.

“The draft Gambling Law aims to make player cards mandatory for all individuals wanting to engage in gambling activities—whether at land-based establishments or via remote services,” the Authority stated.

“This measure seeks to ensure effective regulatory supervision of the gambling sector, reduce potential social, financial, and health-related harms linked to gambling, and support the implementation of responsible gambling policies.”

Lithuania prioritises control

Account-based gambling controls are at the core of the framework. Each player card connects directly to personal gambling accounts and consumer-chosen spending limits, designed to give players greater visibility over their activity while enabling automated protections when thresholds are exceeded.

“Introducing a mandatory player card linked to personal gambling accounts and pre-set permissible limits will ensure compliance with established boundaries,” the Authority told SBC.

“Through the player card, users can monitor their expenditure and winnings, while the system will automatically block transactions that exceed pre-set limits.”

The player card also integrates into Lithuania’s wider responsible gambling infrastructure, including national self-exclusion systems and age-verification controls.

Authorities have simultaneously tightened broader gambling protections in recent years, raising the minimum gambling age and strengthening restrictions on venue access and operating conditions.

Lithuania to lead EU on player oversight?

The Gambling Control Authority acknowledged that implementing the system increases compliance burdens for operators.

“Introducing the player card, along with associated certification requirements, raises technological and financial barriers to market entry,” the Authority said.

“However, these requirements apply uniformly to all market participants and ensure equal standards for responsible gambling and data protection.”

Lithuania’s framework is likely to attract attention across Europe.

Regulators in Spain, France, and the UK have increasingly examined stronger account-based protections, affordability controls, and centralized player protection systems as governments attempt to balance market liberalization with a “single view of the market.”

With its centralized control system, Lithuania has now gone further than most European counterparts… For many, the question will be: how far will other jurisdictions follow?