TopSport Slammed with a Fine over Underage Gambling

TopSport has once again found itself in hot water after breaching the Lithuanian regulations regarding underage gambling. As reported by iGaming Business, the operator was slammed with a fine after allowing an underage customer at one of its slot salons.

The Lithuanian Gambling Supervisory Authority investigated the matter and found that the minor had entered alongside two other people. The three stayed at the salon for about two hours, before leaving. During that time, the operator failed to identify the minor and ask the three customers to leave.

TopSport thus breached Article 10, Part 10 of the Lithuanian Law on Gambling, which prohibits operators from accepting underage customers and Article 20, Part 10 of the law, which requires companies to check all customers when they enter a gambling facility.

In addition, the regulator found a separate breach of Article 101, Part 1 of the law, which requires companies to inform people of the dangers and risks of gambling. TopSport, in this case, failed to put up warning messages and notices across the salon and by extension failed to properly inform its customers of the risks they face.

As a result of these violations, the Lithuanian Gambling Supervisory Authority issued a $26,710 fine to the operator. However, the decision is not final and can be appealed by TopSport if the company deems it to be unjustified.

The Operator Is Yet to Adapt to the Lithuanian Rules

TopSport’s recent breach was preceded by another violation in April when the company allowed a person to charge their account with someone else’s payment card. The customer used the card to deposit thousands of euros into his account, which is a serious violation of the rules. Eventually, the regulator discovered the issue and handed a $16,000 fine to the gambling company.

In February, on the other hand, TopSport failed to comply with the Lithuanian rules on gambling promotions. The operator violated a rule that prohibits certain marketing tactics by personally emailing details of its services to customers. Back then, the regulator handed another $26,710 fine to the company.

Last year, TopSport committed other violations, such as allowing a person not residing in Lithuania to play on its online platform. This was not the first fine the company received either as it was preceded by two other violations. These violations included another illegal promotion, as well as another failure to identify retail customers, this time because of bad camera footage.