In a report detailing the financial performance of the gambling industry in Lithuania, a notable increase in revenue has been observed, with online gambling as the driving force behind this growth. The total revenue for the industry ascended to a robust €222.2m in 2023, surpassing the €195.8m achieved in the previous year. This data was meticulously gathered and presented by the national regulator, the Gaming Control Authority, which highlighted the surge in online activity, even as land-based gambling establishments experienced a slight decrease in revenue.
Online gambling, which has been on an upward trajectory internationally, reflected this trend in Lithuania, recording a revenue of €148.4m—this marked a significant 22.0% year-on-year increase. The contrast was noticeable in land-based venues, where revenue dwindled to €73.8m, a marginal 0.4% dip from the prior year’s total.
In an in-depth breakdown of the online gambling segment, slot games emerged as the powerhouse, generating €100.5m in revenue—an impressive 28.5% jump from the preceding year. The figures revealed that Category A online slots contributed €97.1m, leaving Category B games to account for €3.4m of the income.
The sports betting domain also reported gains with online sports betting revenue climbing 1.2% to €35.3m in 2023. Moreover, internet table games witnessed a considerable increase of 46.5%, culminating in a €12.6m revenue.
Shifting focus to the traditional brick-and-mortar slot machines, they continued to be the cornerstone of land-based gambling revenue in Lithuania for 2023. However, there was a slight decrease of 0.9%, amounting to €46.3m in total slots revenue. This consisted of €31.3m from Category B slots—a figure unchanged from 2022—and an additional €15.0m stemming from Category A machines, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 4.9%.
Contrary to slot machines, land-based table games exhibited a 5.2% upward trend in revenue, reaching €18.3m. In a reverse development, retail sports betting did not fare as well, with revenues falling by 8.1% to €9.1m for the year.
The Lithuanian lottery, operated under separate reporting conditions by different organizations, also experienced substantial growth. Gross gaming revenue from lottery activities soared to €66.3m, up by 17.6%, despite a decline of 7.4% in ticket sales, which dropped to 100.5 million during the year. Payouts to lottery players totaled €74.9m, revealing a 5.0% decrease when set against the figures from the previous year.
The revenue surge in 2023 came with a concomitant increase in tax contributions. A sum of €67.0m was collected, attributed to €43.7m from gambling operators and €23.3m from large lottery organizers.
In summary, the Lithuanian gambling market has derived substantial fiscal benefits from the burgeoning online gambling sector. While traditional land-based operations faced slight setbacks, online slots, table games, and sports betting have significantly widened their mark, propelling the overall industry towards prosperity. The contrasting fortunes of the online and land-based sectors mirror broader trends in the worldwide gambling market, where digital platforms are becoming increasingly dominant due to their convenience and accessibility. However, with the online sector’s dynamic growth showing no sign of abating, the continued evolution of the industry looks set to cement Lithuania’s status as an emerging European hub for online gambling.
