Lithuanian court deems gambling a danger to society

The Supreme Court of Lithuania ruled in favor of the defendant in a case involving poker training. It found the program to be a form gambling promotion and declared it not in the public interest because gambling is dangerous to society.

The plaintiff and the defendant had entered into a contract whereby the former would teach them poker and finance any games. The agreement provided that profits would be shared and losses to be repaid to plaintiffs if the defendant loses any games. The plaintiff demanded payment after the defendant lost a match. The Supreme Court, however, ruled in favor of the defendant.

The Supreme Court said of its decision, "After examining the case, the Supreme Court of Lithuania pointed out that a clear legal policy regarding gambling is being formed in Lithuania - such activities are not encouraged and considered dangerous to society; therefore, gambling is restricted and controlled by various legal acts.

"The Supreme Court of Lithuania, finding that the agreement promoted gambling and that the plaintiffs sought to involve the defendant in gambling, declared the agreement contrary to public policy (i.e., the public interest), and dismissed the action."

In July, a banongamblingpromotion was enacted in Lithuania. This made bonuses illegal in that country. Unigames and Baltic Bet have been fined since then for violating the new regulations.

Despite the controversy, Lithuania still proves to be a popular target for gaming companies. Thanks to a Topsport deal, Pragmatic Play has now launched new products on the Lithuanian market.

The agreement will allow the live casino product provider to share its entire suite with the Lithuanian operator. Live casino products include ONE Blackjack, Mega Roulette, and several Indian-themed titles such as Andar Bahar or Indian Roulette.

The deal isn't the only one the companies have made. Topsport partnered previously with Pragmatic Play to make its slot games portfolio available to Lithuanian gamblers.

Pragmatic Play's VP for Malta Operations, Lena Yasir, said that Topsport is the market leader and they are thrilled to expand their partnership with Live Casino. She asserted, "Partnering with market leaders is a key element of our strategy to grow in various regulated markets across Europe, and Topsport's recognised and trusted brand will help us in this."

Topsport Gintaras Staniulis added, "Pragmatic Play has been an easy and efficient partner to deal with to date, and we're delighted to continue this partnership by taking their live casino offering."

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