Latvia decline gambling law revisions for limiting gambling
The Latvian government has declined some revisions to the Gambling and Lotteries Law, which was supposed to be altered in order to set limits on gambling across the country.
This draft was created by members from the KPV LV and New Conservative Party, with Saeima deputy Juris Jurašs urging the rest of the MPs to support it, as he stated that over 80,000 individuals in the country were suffering from problems related to gambling addiction, as 15,000 out of this amount had ‘severe’ problems. He further stated that these alterations would be the first step in creating a more healthy society.
He remarked:
“Gambling halls in Latvia are a lasting disease that makes certain people rich, it needs to be treated.”
Jurašs greatly emphasized that the country’s gambling scene was critical. Once the draft had been declined by the parliament, Saeima deputy Krišjānis Feldmans took to Twitter to express that he felt the Attīstībai/Par! party is a “plague for Latvian politics”, as he quoted their move on voting against safer gambling environments.
There were 35 Saeima deputies who voted for the draft and 15 who voted against, along with 27 who abstained from voting. This brought on the rejection of the legislative draft. The draft also suggested that casinos in the country would only be allowed to be present in four or five star hotels.