The legalization of gambling in Latvia is recent. After gaining independence, the country began taking steps towards casino regulations in the early 90s. At first, A casino was responsible for ensuring safety and quality services without government authority.
This continued until the Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspection was created in 1998. Now, online and land-based operators are regulated and controlled by laws put forth under this authority.
Since Latvia is bordered by countries prohibiting gambling, other players come from neighboring states. Players from Russia and Lithuania rely on foreign casinos to entertain themselves with slots, roulette and live games.
If you need to know what casinos look like in Latvia, then stay tuned as we explore the Baltic country’s land-based and online operators.
Latvian Land-Based Casinos
Latvian land-based casinos were allowed to operate, but not government-regulated for the first seven years of independence. Currently, the Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspection regulates the kinds of games a gambling operator should offer.
In addition to this, the minimum RTP and the number of tables gambling businesses can have is determined by this regulatory body. Usually, casinos in the capital city are allowed up to 10 tables, while those in the country can have up to five.
The brick-and-mortar gambling establishments in Latvia are mostly slot halls. There are over 130 of them, which is a lot more than regular casinos. Slot halls have gaming machines, not cards or any game that needs a dealer.
So far, there are five regular casino venues in the country. They’re located in Riga, the capital city. These include:
- Olympic Voodoo Casino
- Kazino 777
- Shangri La Casino Riga
- Royal Casino Spa & Hotel
- Olympic Casino at Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga
Online Casinos in Latvia
Online operators became legal and adequately regulated in 2006. These, including international ones, need licensing from the local regulatory body to offer their services in Latvia. Previously, international operators could freely provide their games to Latvian players.
However, in 2014, the country decided to start blocking unlicensed platforms. Since there are VPNs and IP masks people can use to access blocked websites, the government went further, creating a law that once it has been detected that you’ve used one to access illegal gaming platforms, you’re charged a fine.
Some Latvian licensed casinos you can freely play in include:
- Miami Club Casino
- BetOnline
- Fair Go Casino
You Can Play Safely in Latvian Casinos
Although Latvia is relatively new to the gambling scene, it has taken steps to ensure people do it responsibly. Land-based casinos and their online counterparts are closely regulated to ensure the safety and security of players.
This also helps reduce problem gambling and protects players from being scammed by illegal platforms. If you’re far from any of the city’s casino venues, then you can play online while at home.
The important thing is that people have options for where to play safely.
