The Latvian government has announced its plan to raise the legal gambling age from 18 to 21.Latvia is a country on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Estonia. The...
Riga’s City Council to ban gambling in the capital
The gambling industry is again under Riga’s City Council’s target as Mayor Vilnis Ķirsis wants to pass a resolution that would create specific zones where gambling can take place while restricting it in municipally owned buildings, neighbourhood centres, and cultural areas.
The council also proposes banning gambling within 300 to 500 meters of sensitive public areas like schools, transport stations, and residential zones.
These proposals are not new. Since 2019, the council has made several changes to gambling regulations, leading to legal disputes with local companies like Alfors, Olympic Entertainment, Joker Ltd, and Admiral Klubs. Later, in 2022, the council started plans to shut down 139 gambling venues by 2025. However, local gambling companies appealed to the Constitutional Court, arguing that the council didn’t have proper permission to make such changes.
If the council’s plan had been approved, gambling would only be allowed in four- and five-star hotels. Mayor Ķirsis expects the new rules to be finalized in March, with decisions on specific venue closures likely to be made soon after.
Juris Celmārs, Chairman of Olympic Entertainment Latvia, expressed concerns about the impact of a total ban, warning that it could push the gambling industry into illegal operations, which would generate no tax revenue.
FAQs
Is gambling legal in Latvia?
Gambling in Latvia is legal.
What is the legal gambling age in Latvia?
The legal gambling age in Latvia is 18.
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...
