After extensive development and rigorous testing, the SYNNET Casino Management System is now fully operational at Joker.lv gaming halls in Latvia. This marks a major milestone in the company’s long-term vision of delivering a powerful, intelligent and scalable solution for managing gaming establishments with maximum efficiency.

The launch of SYNNET represents a shift in the way casinos and gaming halls are monitored, managed and optimised. Designed to streamline daily operations, enhance decision-making and improve overall efficiency, SYNNET provides comprehensive control over every aspect of a gaming venue.

Among its standout features, SYNNET includes:

• Integrated jackpot system – Seamlessly manage and customise jackpot configurations across multiple gaming machines.

• Advanced dashboards & widgets – Get real-time insights into casino performance, financials and player behaviour through an intuitive and fully customisable dashboard.

• Floorplan management – A visual representation of all gaming machines and tables for optimised space utilisation and operational efficiency.

• Marketing campaign automation – Target and engage players effectively with built-in tools for promotions and personalised offers.

• Geographic mapping of operations – Gain an overview of all locations, allowing for efficient monitoring and remote management of multiple branches.

With 35 branches and 1150 gaming machines now fully integrated into the SYNNET ecosystem, casino operators can leverage data-driven insights to enhance performance and player engagement like never before.

The company Olympic Casino Group Baltija (OCGB) did not take sufficient steps to identify the origin of Šarūnas Stepukonis’ losing funds, and the monitoring of his financial transactions was only formal and ineffective. Such violations were identified by the Gaming Supervisory Authority, which conducted an inspection of OCGB’s activities in Lithuania. The company was fined almost 8.4 million euros.

The Gaming Supervisory Authority (LPT) investigated the actions taken by OCGB in response to Š. Stepukonis’ transactions on the company’s gaming website from December 2016 to the end of June 2021. The law obliges gaming operators to ensure that customer funds are not obtained from criminal activities or through participation in such activities. It is also mandatory to verify the origin of the funds. LPT found that the measures applied by OCGB were poor and insufficient, and the monitoring of Š. Stepukonis’ transactions was formal.

Gambling organizers must report suspicious transactions to the FNTT. Š. Stepukonis’ transactions had obvious signs that should have raised suspicions for the gambling organizer. However, the FNTT was not informed about this.

During the inspection, evidence was also collected that Š. Stepukonis’ gambling was irresponsible. The gambling company should have noticed this, especially since the client was assigned a personal manager who saw all of his transactions.

“Instead of finding out whether Š. Stepukonis had a gambling problem or informing the supervisory authority, Olympic Casino encouraged him to gamble even more. An individual incentive package was prepared for him. A total of 1.3 million euros was allocated for this. This “bonus” could only be spent on gambling. Other incentives were also allocated,” – comments on the results of the inspection by LPT Director Virginijus Daukšys.

Since mid-2021, gambling companies in Lithuania have no longer been allowed to offer incentives to their customers that they would later lose. Just before this tightening came into effect, Š. Stepukonis’ virtual gambling was moved from Lithuania to Estonia, where it was still allowed to encourage gamblers.

In this way, it was possible not only to maintain incentives for gambling, but also to avoid supervision by the LPT. If an ordinary gambler from Lithuania tried to go and register on the Estonian Olympic Casino website, he would be redirected to the Lithuanian website. However, in the case of Š. Stepukonis, the redirection was not carried out. These circumstances are part of the pre-trial investigation.

During the inspection, a total of five violations of the provisions of the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and the Law on Gambling were identified.

The law allows for a fine of up to twice the amount of damage caused. The damage was determined to be 6.4 million euros – the amount Š. Stepukonis lost at the Olympic Casino in Lithuania. When calculating the fine, an aggravating circumstance was taken into account – the company did not cooperate during the inspection.

According to V. Daukšys, after this story came to light, steps were taken to prevent similar cases from recurring. The most important change is the law, proposed by the LPT, which obliges gambling companies to take action upon noticing irresponsible gambling and to provide information about it to the LPT.

“Until now, there was no such obligation. Therefore, the LPT did not have information that would allow it to take preventive actions in advance,” says V. Daukšys.

The new Gambling Law will come into force in November this year. Its aim is to reduce the accessibility, attractiveness and potential harm to personal health of gambling.

LPT also reviewed its procedures, adjusted internal procedures, allowing for more frequent scheduled inspections of the activities of gambling companies. In addition, the Ministry of Finance conducted an audit of LPT’s activities. No significant operational deficiencies were identified during the audit. LPT took into account the audit recommendations and allocated more human resources to money laundering prevention functions.

Source: Gambling Supervisory Authority under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania

PaymentFarm, a global leader in payment processing solutions for high-risk industries, announced a series of groundbreaking advancements aimed at helping iGaming businesses and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) expand their operations and significantly reduce processing costs. This year, PaymentFarm has successfully integrated an AI-driven anti-fraud monitoring system into its platform while introducing the most competitive card processing rates available worldwide.

In today’s fast-paced digital economy, high-risk sectors such as iGaming face unique challenges—ranging from fraud prevention and compliance complexities to managing steep transaction fees. Recognizing these hurdles, PaymentFarm has taken decisive action to address them head-on. The newly integrated AI anti-fraud system offers real-time transaction monitoring and intelligent risk analysis, effectively reducing chargebacks and minimising raudulent activities. By harnessing sophisticated machine learning algorithms, the system detects anomalies and patterns that traditional methods often miss, ensuring that each transaction is secure and that businesses can operate without disruption.

At the same time, PaymentFarm has overhauled its card processing framework to offer unmatched global rates. By collaborating with a broad network of financial institutions and payment channels, the company delivers secure, scalable solutions that enable iGaming operators and PSPs to manage costs more effectively while expanding into new markets. These strategic improvements not only lower operational expenses but also help businesses navigate regulatory challenges and meet the ever-evolving demands of global commerce.

“At PaymentFarm, we understand that businesses operating in high-risk sectors require not just robust security, but also cost-efficient and scalable payment solutions. Our commitment to innovation is evident in our recent integration of AI-powered fraud detection and our relentless pursuit of the best processing rates in the industry. We are excited to help our clients overcome traditional barriers and achieve sustainable growth worldwide,” Olga Strelnikova, Senior Business Developer at PaymentFarm, said.