New restrictions in Argentina, Nepal bans online casinos, Lithuania increases age limits
Argentina introduces strict iGaming advertising rules aimed at protecting minors and vulnerable groups, Lithuania raises the minimum age for gambling to 21, and Nepal completely bans online casinos and tightens controls on transactions and requirements for land-based operators.
Argentina tightens requirements for online gambling advertising
Argentina has passed new federal legislation on gambling advertising to protect children and vulnerable citizens.
After discussions in the Chamber of Deputies, the Ministry of Economy approved the first phase of the program, which establishes uniform advertising rules for gambling and betting across all provinces and municipalities in the country.
The new rules define how gambling can be promoted through media outlets, including television, radio, and social networks. Advertisements must be restrained and fact-based, and they cannot contain exaggeration or misleading information.
All advertising materials must now include two warnings: “Gambling is harmful to your health” and “Only for players over 18 years of age”. The warnings must be placed at the bottom of the advertisement, occupy at least 5% of its height, and be printed in a font size of at least four millimeters. In videos, these warnings must remain on the screen for at least five seconds. In radio advertisements, the warnings must be clearly pronounced without background music. These rules also apply to influencers and digital content creators who promote online gambling platforms.
Resolution 446/2025 was a significant step in the reform process, and the industry is now entering a transition period in which advertising rules are becoming mandatory. However, their actual effectiveness is unclear.
The media must implement these changes by November 30.
Nepal introduces ban on online casinos
The Nepal Tourism Ministry, which regulates gambling, announced that all forms of online gambling are now illegal in Nepal. This decision was made to reduce the risk of money laundering and ensure the transparency of cross-border payments.
In addition to banning online gambling, the directive introduces new requirements for land-based casinos. These casinos must now use biometric identification for players and provide 24-hour video recordings of gaming rooms.
Lithuania raises minimum age for gambling to 21
Lithuania has set a new minimum gambling age of 21, effective immediately for both online and land-based establishments. This rule took effect on November 1, 2025.
Individuals under the age of 21 are prohibited from participating in any gambling activities. Operators are required to use monitoring systems that identify risky behavior. If a player is identified as high-risk, their access is automatically blocked for 48 hours to prevent potential losses.
Players must also set daily, weekly, and monthly spending limits, as well as session time limits. They can request to have the limits increased, but changes do not take place immediately. Once the limit is reached, the game ends.
Stricter sanctions are provided for violations of the new requirements. Fines for repeat violations will increase and be calculated based on the operator's annual income, ensuring that large companies cannot ignore the rules. Some elements of the regulations, such as the new deposit restriction tools, are being introduced in stages to allow businesses time to adapt.
The main goals of the reform are to protect people from the negative consequences of gambling and to set higher standards for operators. In this way, Lithuania is following the general European trend of strengthening prevention measures and increasing player safety.
