In a recent investigation, it was discovered that a player had self-excluded themselves on October 31, 2022. However, this didn’t prevent them from gambling online with Top Sport on November 11 and November 22. The regulator also noted that the player was allowed to remain logged in to their Top Sport account despite self-exclusion, which goes against Lithuania’s Law on Gambling.
According to Article 10(21) of the law, licensees are required to block access for anyone who has signed up for the country’s self-exclusion scheme, including preventing them from logging into their account. As a result, the regulator has ruled that Top Sport has breached this law and has issued a fine.
This isn’t the first time that Top Sport has faced fines for regulatory violations. Earlier this year, the company received three separate fines totaling €55,000. These fines were for allowing underage individuals to enter one of its slot locations, violating mobile betting regulations, and breaching payment and deposit rules for online accounts.
Self-exclusion is an important tool for individuals who recognize that gambling is harmful to them and want support in quitting. It allows them to request exclusion from gambling for a specific period of time. Gambling businesses are legally obligated to offer this option, and the duration of self-exclusion can vary depending on the jurisdiction, ranging from six months to five years.
While self-exclusion is not foolproof, as some individuals may still find ways to gamble outside of the system, it is the responsibility of the gambling operator to take all reasonable measures to prevent individuals from gambling during their self-exclusion.