The European Gaming and Betting Association has taken direct aim at a Lithuanian payments provider, alleging it facilitated transactions to illegal online gambling operators.
The EGBA filed a formal complaint with the Bank of Lithuania after identifying that locally licensed fintech firm Walletto had allegedly processed payments destined for unlicensed gambling platforms.
The case has reignited a long-running debate about whether illegal gambling can ever be effectively stopped without targeting the financial infrastructure that supports it.
The EGBA has long argued that payment providers represent a critical vulnerability in the illegal gambling ecosystem, and this investigation appears to back that position with a concrete example.
While not officially confirmed, the complaint to the EGBA is thought to have originated from either Betsson or Entain, both of which hold licences in the Lithuanian betting market and are members of the trade body.
The EGBA stated: “Illegal gambling operators cannot operate at scale without access to payments – they depend on the same mainstream payment methods and card networks consumers use every day.”
Despite repeated warnings from industry bodies, the ease with which consumers can make payments to unlicensed platforms continues to be a persistent and troubling reality across Europe.
In response to the Lithuania case, the EGBA is now pushing for stricter EU-wide regulations governing how financial service providers interact with illegal gambling websites, whether intentionally or not.
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, said: “Payment providers should not be allowed to process transactions for illegal gambling operators. Illegal operators flourish by exploiting legitimate financial channels and the mainstream payment networks that consumers rely on every day.”
Haijer added: “Our aim is simple: to leave them no room to manoeuvre, and to cut off the payment channels they use to reach European consumers.”
He also pointed to card schemes as having a particularly important role, stating: “They are better placed than anyone, as they set the rules for these payment networks and see transaction flows no one else can.”
The Walletto case underscores how licensed and regulated financial entities can, knowingly or otherwise, become conduits for illegal gambling activity across the European market.
