Baltic states to launch shared online gambling self-exclusion register amid EU anti-money-laundering push

30 articles·3 sources·updated about 13 hours ago·View in graph

business & finance estonia lithuania european union

AI-generated · Hosted in Europe

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have agreed to share a unified self-exclusion register for online gambling, marking a significant regulatory shift in the Baltic region. This move is driven by the European Union's push for harmonized anti-money-laundering standards and aims to tighten compliance for online gambling operators across the three countries.

The agreement, announced in March, is part of a broader effort to address gaps in how suspicious transaction reporting requirements are applied to licensed gambling operators. The European Commission launched infringement proceedings against Lithuania earlier this year for failures to fully transpose EU anti-money-laundering rules. The new regulation, Regulation 2024/1624, requires gambling operators to apply enhanced due-diligence checks for any customer whose cumulative activity triggers a risk score.

In a separate development, Lithuania signed a cooperation agreement on Monday to build a film studio in the capital, Vilnius. The project, expected to be completed by 2030, aims to double the size of the country's audiovisual sector and attract larger international productions. The studio will be built on the redeveloped site of Litexpo, Vilnius' exhibition center, and will include five film pavilions, some as tall as 18 meters.

Economy and Innovation Minister Edvinas Grikšas highlighted the importance of the project, stating that Lithuania has been losing out on high-value projects and investment due to the lack of large-scale film studio infrastructure. The audiovisual sector in Lithuania had a turnover of €208 million in 2025 and has been growing at an average rate of 19% per year, nearly four times faster than the country's GDP growth rate.

Meanwhile, the Estonian Foreign Ministry has organized work programs for Estonian children living abroad. This initiative, which started this year, provides teenagers with the opportunity to gain work experience in Estonia. Participants from countries like Abu Dhabi, Belgium, and Spain have expressed positive experiences, highlighting the cultural immersion and new friendships formed through the program.

The idea to invite young people living abroad came from the Estonian Foreign Ministry in cooperation with Estonian language teachers working overseas. The program aims to provide work experience and cultural immersion for Estonian children living abroad.

Additionally, the Lemesos International Documentary Festival in Cyprus is set to return from August 1 to 8, featuring award-winning documentaries and acclaimed directors. The festival will open with "One in a Million," which follows a young Syrian woman's journey from Izmir to Germany.

In other news, Lithuania has reported no significant disruption from the rollout of the European Union's new Entry/Exit System, despite difficulties reported in several other EU capitals.

The NATO summit in Ankara was considered a success for Latvia, according to Latvian Ambassador Riekstins. The summit did not make any sensational headlines but was seen as a positive step for Latvia.

Lastly, the Kossuth Radio in Hungary has expanded its editorial team with two new deputy editors-in-chief, Bogár Zsolt and Magyari Péter. The new appointees bring decades of journalistic experience and are expected to contribute to the development of the radio's content and new program structure.

Bluesky Threads

Source Intelligence

3 sources1 country

Geographic Origin1 located

2 further sources not geolocated

Political Spectrum1 mapped

Articles

Cyprus only documentary festival unveils 21st edition line-up The Lemesos International Documentary Festival, the only festival in Cyprus with a longstanding commitment to documentary cinema, returns from August 1 to 8 at Ceronia Hall in the Lanitis Carob Mill, Limassol. This years selection travels the world in search of stories that captivate, provoke thought and, at times, entertain, bringing together award-winning documentaries, acclaimed […]

in-cyprus · about 13 hours ago

Lithuanian and Latvian presidents observe military exercise in Klaipeda - The Baltic Times VILNIUS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics observed a military exercise in the port city of Klaipeda ......