Best New Casinos in Lithuania: Top 10 Casino Websites 2023

New casinos in Lithuania

With new casinos, there is the opportunity to try online casino games that others do not have, but players should check that the casino has the relevant license to operate in Lithuania before registering, as this will help to protect them from any potential risks. The authorities are working to block unauthorised sites, which will also help customers to remain protected.

History of gambling in Lithuania

Lithuania was one of the Soviet bloc countries until 1992 and, as a result, had to abide by their laws on gambling. Most forms of gambling were categorised as illegal. The country was able to gain independence in 1992 and the government started to legalise gambling. The first gambling activity available to the residents was the lottery. Lotteries were the only legal form of gambling for a number of years.

Gambling in the early days

In 2001, it was brick and mortar casinos that started to become available to Lithuanian residents. It was in 2001 that the Gaming Law came into effect. This dictated that any operator that wanted to run a casino would need to have a licence from the authorities. Originally, around 20 land-based casinos were set up. However, in 2008 there was a global recession that hit the industry hard in Lithuania and several closed.

Gambling nowadays

In 2020, the global pandemic arrived and this also reduced the number of land-based casinos available to players in Lithuania. However, online lotteries were legalised in 2003 and the authorities amended the Gambling Act in 2016 to include other types of online gambling. This means that there is now a wide variety of gambling options available to players. It also means that during the pandemic, even though fewer land-based casinos could operate, online casinos and esports betting sites were available.

Future of new casinos in Lithuania

The Lithuanian authorities are keen to encourage new gambling sites as it will help to keep the industry afloat and bring in new revenue for the government. There are no changes planned to the legislation to limit the way that gambling is regulated in the country.

As an EU state, Lithuania has to comply with the EU legislation on gambling and stay in line with other EU countries. The state is also encouraging new business by changing the legislation to allow firms that do not have a land-based casino to open new online casinos, once they have been approved.

Are casinos legal in Lithuania?

Casinos are legal in Lithuania with provision made for them in gambling legislation. A license has to be issued by the authorities for a company to run a bricks and mortar casino, and it was only companies that had obtained this license that were permitted to operate online casinos too. The government made changes to the legislation in 2021, which means that other companies can apply to run an online casino. Lithuania has to comply with EU legislation, which is why the changes were made.

The Gaming Law in Lithuania was introduced in 2001. Lithuanian citizens have to be aged at least 18 in order to gamble, but this is applicable only to non-casino gambling. Anyone who wants to go into a land-based casino or register with an online casino has to be at least 21 years of age. Sites should take the appropriate steps to verify the age of any new member so that they can avoid falling foul of the legislation.

Gambling Control Authority

The Gambling Control Authority is the Lithuanian regulator that determines if new casino sites can obtain the appropriate license. It is operated by the Ministry of Finance. It was responsible for amending the legislation in 2016 to permit online casino licences and the further changes in 2021 have opened up the market to boost the gambling industry.

One of the reasons that Lithuania wanted to legalise online gambling was that so many of their citizens were using foreign websites that were unregulated in the country. They were unable to collect taxes from these sites and the country was losing a large amount of revenue. They are now able to block access to unlicensed sites and promote the best new casinos online.

The Gaming Control Board can issue five different types of licenses. The first is for casinos that offer standard table games, the second is for machine halls such as slot arcades, the third is for bingo games, the fourth is for Totalizer and the final type is for sports betting. A single operator can apply for all types of licenses, but equally they can apply for just one if they want to focus their business on just one area.

Lithuanian players’ favorite games

The type of games that are popular in new online casinos in other countries are also popular in Lithuania. A wide range of games are available to Lithuanian players and the new online casinos are very similar to those seen in other countries. There is also the rise in e-sports betting and bingo, both of which are available through many of the new online casino sites that are available to Lithuanian residents.

Casino games

Games such as online poker, roulette and blackjack are very popular with Lithuanian players, who will find them on nearly all brand new casino sites.

The new online casino sites also offer a variety of online slot games, which update and change regularly. Slot games are very popular with those who are unsure of the rules of the standard casino games and who want to get used to using a casino site before they try the more complex games.

Popular new casino bonuses in Lithuania

One of the best ways to find the best new casino sites in Lithuania is to check out the type of bonuses that they offer. Almost all casino sites will offer a sign-up bonus to new customers. These take various forms. It may be that users are offered a match bonus, where the casino will match the amount of their initial deposit up to a specified amount. These bonuses are popular with new customers as it doubles their chances of a win by giving them more money to play games with.

These sign up bonuses may have restrictions attached to them, such as a limit on how long the additional funds are available or a limit on how much a player can withdraw after a win, for a certain time. An alternative bonus would be free spins bonus on online slot games. This can give the player hundreds of spins at no cost, but again, there will be terms and conditions attached to this and the player should be aware of this before they sign up.

Casino payment methods in Lithuania

When a player signs up to a new casino online, they need to check out the type of payment details that they can use. In order to be competitive with other online casinos, they need to accept the same payment methods and a variety of deposit methods.

The most popular payment methods remain credit and debit cards. Most players will have a card and it is often easier to deposit funds than with other methods. However, this does mean adding the card account details to the casino site and if there is a security breach, they could be accessed.

This is why some players prefer a method where personal data does not need to be stored on the site. E-wallets have been a popular alternative to credit and debit cards. The player can sign up with the e-wallet site and then use this to pay funds into their new online casino site account. There will be no bank account details stored on the casino site at all. However, not all e-wallets are accepted by all online casinos and it is a good idea for the player to check in advance to make sure that their preferred method is acceptable.

Other payment methods

Bank transfers may be an option at some new casino sites, but this type of transaction may take longer to complete than with a debit card or e-wallet.

The player should always read the terms and conditions of the payment process before signing up to make sure it is compatible with what they need. The player should also check that they are able to withdraw using the same payment method that they signed up with.

Languages at Lithuania's new casinos

Casinos that offer services in Lithuania will use the Lithuanian language. This will be a requirement of their license. However, this does not mean that they will not offer services in other languages too. English, Russian, German and Spanish are the most common options and if the user wants to play in one of these languages, they can simply alter the settings on the web page that they are using. It will also be possible to get customer service support in these alternative languages.

Any Lithuanian citizen who wants to use new gambling sites in different languages should check in advance to make sure they are available, particularly from a customer service point of view. Those who need support in another language will struggle with a site that is only available in one language.

How we select the top Lithuanian new casinos

New online casinos in Lithuania are assessed for the variety of the services that they offer. Do they have a strong array of games to offer the customer? Are they good value for money? Are the bonuses good? There are some other factors that need to be taken into consideration too and a new player trying to choose a site to join should be aware of all the different features of a site before they sign up.

Safety & security

A good new casino will have the appropriate security measures in place and any new online casino should have encryption software in place to help to protect the players and their personal data from unlawful access. The site should also offer support and advice for those who believe that they are gambling too much and point them in the direction of external support services too.

When new customers sign up, they should have to set up security questions and other measures to help to protect their account. If this step is not there, then it would raise questions about the security of the site.

Language & software

Most brand new casino sites will have a number of languages available for users. While most Lithuanian residents will want to use their native language, there are plenty of people who live in Lithuania who may have another first language. Sites that offer a variety of languages tend to offer better customer service as they can support more of their customers.

The same applies to the software that is used. The technology behind online casino sites has advanced dramatically in recent years and a good site will be able to keep pace with this, offering a variety of games that have sharp graphics and which are responsive to the player. All new sites should have a strong commitment to developing new games and keeping pace with other online casino sites.

Customer support

Customer support is another essential factor. Some new online casinos will have a customer service phone number that users can call if they have any issues. However, not all sites will have a customer service phone number. Many prefer to offer customer service via email or live chat. Provided this is easily accessible and the hours of service are not limited, then this is still a good way of helping players. Most sites will offer customer service around the clock, as they are aware that people can log in and play at all times of the day and night.

Top-rated New gambling sites in Lithuania