7bet hit with fine in Lithuania over marketing breach

7bet-owned operator Amber Gaming has been fined €6,789 (£5,780) for breaching national laws regarding gambling advertising.

Following an investigation by the authority, it found that between 13 October and 4 November 2021, Amber Gaming published content on its 7bet site that the authority felt encouraged gambling.

The commission declared that a number of the statements published on the site encouraged consumers to gamble.

The statements that it took issue with included: “Online casino: free spins and casino bonus” and “For those who want a greater sense of excitement, 7bet offers live real-time casino games. It gives you even more chances to win.”

In the ruling, the Lithuanian authority said the information presented was “aimed at drawing attention to the company, its offer, persuading and encouraging persons to participate in the company’s games”.

This kind of advertising breached Article 10 (19) of the country’s law. This article stated that any content aimed at drawing people to the company or any offers it was trying to promote that would encourage consumers to gamble is strictly prohibited.

Amber Gaming has also been warned that any similar breaches or failure to remove this kind of content in the future could result in its licence being suspended.

The operator has decided not to appeal the decision.

This change in the law in Lithuania came into effect in July 2021 and meant that no form of gambling advertising was allowed in the country.

The law prohibits the promotion of gambling in any form, including advertising on TV and radio and marketing promotions, discounts and bonus offers.

The government amended the law to tackle gambling-related harm in the Baltic state, which it suggested was on the rise due to the Covid-19 pandemic.