Over the past few
years, gambling has become a lucrative business in Lithuania. There are now
about ten gambling establishments in Vilniaus, a city of around one million
people. Most of these are government-run casinos and some privately owned ones.
Despite the fact that gambling is legal in Vilniaus, the authorities are very
vigilant in regulating its proliferation. Since there are a number of
establishments, all of them having different objectives, some laws and
regulations overlap and some are not implemented at all.
The first thing to
remember is that gambling is a game of chance, and thus is not a subject of
law. Nobody has to be hurt or even paid any money in order to lose on a game of
luck. Nobody gets to win or lose any money either. The idea that gambling is a
game of skill where the winners get to win and the losers lose is, therefore,
an utter impossibility. In fact, if someone were to win, he would only gain
more money, not lose any. Thus, it can be seen that there is nothing wrong with
the law of gambling per se.
However, the same does
not extend to the lawfulness of a gambling establishment. Just like in the case
of any other activity, there should be some considerations when it comes to
determining whether a gambling establishment is legal or not. If one is intending
to go into a casino or to take part in an event organized by one, then it would
make sense to do a little bit of research on the law of that place as well.
There are many aspects
to be considered when coming up with the answer. First of all, it is important
to note that even though gambling is legalized in Vilniaus, the presence of
some grey areas is always going to remain. There are many gray areas
surrounding the lawfulness of gambling. The first and most obvious is the
presence of any crime committed in another country, even if it happened within
the Lithuanian territory. Another gray area regards the activities of licensed
casinos.
Lawsuits have been
filed against licensed casinos, even though the events in question took place
within the Lithuanian territory. It has been proven that the existence of
elements of irregular business running within the course of the operation of
licensed casinos, which results in an irregular earnings, is not covered by the
law. The laws on gambling that are applicable in Vilniaus also do not cover
events that take place outside the country. This makes it clear that it would
be very difficult for an event to take place outside of Vilniaus, whether it
involves gambling, sports betting, gaming, or anything else.
One may ask why the
government of Vilniaus prefers to apply the lawfulness principle to gambling,
rather than other types of businesses. The answer is simple - money. The former
restricts the losses of a firm, while the latter does not. If an operator wants
to make profits, he must abide by the rules laid down by the law. The same is
true for a gambler, who needs to pay out only if he wins.
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