Olifėja, Lithuania’s biggest lottery operator, was presented with a Responsible Gaming Certificate. The company received the recognition during a meeting of the European Lotteries in Prague.
The certificate is an endorsement of the responsible gaming measures that Olifėja has implemented. They include prevention and education efforts to ensure the safety of lottery participants and vulnerable groups in society, clearly explaining to participants the rules of play and role of chance in the game, and other measures. The protection of children is one important aspect of the standards.
Donatas Kazlauskas, the Deputy CEO of Olifėja, who accepted the certificate on behalf of the company, reaffirmed the lottery operator’s commitment to ensuring the transparency of lottery operations in Lithuania and to strengthening public trust in the game.
“The most important value for lottery organisers is the good of lottery participants. If there’s no trust, then there won’t be any game or support for Olympic sports. Our commitment to lottery participants is transparency and responsible operations. Only in that way will we be able to thrive for another 25 years and will players continue enjoying lottery winnings,” Mr Kazlauskas said.
Olifėja is the first lottery operator in Lithuania to obtain the Responsible Gaming Certificate. It was granted by the European Lotteries, the biggest association of lottery companies on the continent, after a thorough 6-month assessment of the company’s lottery operations by independent auditors. To obtain the certification, Olifėja worked for several years to implement all the required standards.
Olifėja’s activities and processes were assessed under 10 aspects, including: efforts based on research and scientific studies to minimise any potential harm, employee training, responsible design of lottery tickets, use of remote channels, responsible advertising and marketing, helping to ensure needed assistance for players, providing full information to lottery participants, engagement with the general public and regulators, and operating transparently and openly.
Olifėja will continue to improve the responsible gaming measures it has implemented, involving in this process market regulators, healthcare professionals and society. It will do so in order to ensure that lotteries are always of benefit to society and serve as an enjoyable form of entertainment.
The European Lotteries is the leading European Association for state-owned and state-licensed lotteries. It works closely with European Union institutions to implement common operating standards. It currently unites 73 lottery operators in 43 countries. The association was founded in 1983 in Switzerland. In 2007 it set up an office to EU institutions in Brussels. It adopted the Responsible Gaming Standards in 2007, and in 2009 approved a framework for the certification of lottery operators. These arrangements are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the latest research results and any changes in the legal environment.
Olifėja has been organising lotteries in Lithuania for 25 years. For every lottery ticket sold, 8 percent of the proceeds go to sponsor sporting activities and the training of Lithuania’s Olympic athletes. Since its creation, the company has provided more than 63 million euros for that purpose.
