Kindred Group tabbed for “openly and blatantly” violating Lithuanian law

Lithuania’s Gaming Control Authority has taken aim at the blacklisted Kindred Group for allegedly offering illegal online gaming services in the country.

In a statement sent to press today (24 May), the regulator claimed websites operating under the Unibet Ltd and Trannel Ltd moniker had “infringed the legal acts of the country” by offering services to the citizens of Lithuania without a licence or permission.

Lithuania’s Gaming Control Authority and the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court voted to ban foreign operators from offering online gaming back in January 2016.

The regulator said today: “Despite this, and in order to circumvent the measures against illegal gaming operators, the mentioned companies change internet domain name systematically and continue to offer their services to Lithuanian customers, openly and blatantly violating the law.”

There are just seven operators legally allowed to operate remote gambling in Lithuania.

According to Skirmante Paukstiene, the chief specialist at the Gaming Control Authority, Kindred Group has demonstrated “malicious behaviour” after failing to stop its activities despite receiving 45 court orders.

“Such behaviour from the one of the largest online gambling operators in Europe, intentionally infringing national law and offering illegal online gaming services, is treated as deliberate infringement of legal requirements and an absence of social responsibility,” he added.

The regulator also took the opportunity to warn players that “participating in unlicensed gaming of the mentioned operators would mean that they support illegal business”.

Kindred Group did not wish to comment at the time of writing.