Online Casino Latvia

Latvia is a bizarre case when it comes to online gambling. While many of its neighbours have opted to forbid online gambling in most of its forms, Latvia has chosen to legalise betting online. The country has its own Gambling and Lotteries Law which dates to 2005, and it is this law which essentially sets the rulebook for internet gambling sites to abide by. If you’re living in Latvia, you’re no doubt going to want to familiarise yourself with. We’ve got the breakdown of Latvian online casino gaming for you right here…

Online Gambling Laws in Latvia
Under the Gambling and Lotteries Law of 2005, all forms of internet gambling in Latvia are legal. This spans internet casino gaming, table games, lottery games, and bingo gameplay. Sports betting is also permitted in the Baltic country, even if it is not as popular as casino betting.

There is one authority which runs the rule of gambling in Latvia. The Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspection of Latvia (known locally as the Izložu un azartspēļu uzraudzības inspekcija), determines which regulation is needed in the industry, and what terms and conditions operators must adhere to. That aside, provided you are aged 18 or older and play at sites which have received the approval of that authority, gambling online is fully legal and above board.

About Online Casinos in Latvia
To be legal in Latvia, an online casino must be approved by the aforementioned Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspection of Latvia. Any casino which has not obtained a license from this authority is likely to be blacklisted. The end result is that the Latvian government instructs its ISPs (internet service providers) to block access to these foreign and offshore casinos.

Despite the active blacklists and blocking procedures, Latvians have no trouble getting access to foreign sites. A decent VPN (virtual private network) will soon see you navigate such measures. Latvians may wish to do this because the selection of titles at Latvian licensed casinos is not as extensive, or they may wish to wager on something which just isn’t available at locally licensed sites.

Whatever their reason, Latvians are known to play at offshore casinos. Moreover, there are no real punishments in place for them doing so. As a result, your average player in Latvia can choose from a variety of casinos, locally licensed and foreign, as they see fit. Regardless of where they are based, all good Latvian casinos will offer gameplay in Latvian and with the euro currency option in place.

Games at Latvian Online Casinos
Latvians like to indulge in online casino gaming. Slots and table games are particularly popular in the country. Moreover, many of the leading live dealer casino games which you can play online are streamed from brick and mortar casinos and studio floors in Riga, the capital of the country.

Lottery games also tend to be quite popular with players, as are poker games. Poker rooms are hard to come across in Latvia, though, which is another reason why players tend to look to offshore sites. Bingo and sports betting – which legal in Latvia – don’t tend to have a huge following.

Latvian Casino Bonuses
A typical Latvian casino will offer a good variety of bonuses and promotions. Latvian licensed sites will generally have bonuses which are smaller in value than those of their foreign counterparts. These include welcome bonuses and loyalty offers.

Most come with fair terms and conditions. However, it is always worth checking out what’s around, especially the rules behind bonuses, before claiming any offer. This is true for both Latvian licensed sites and those based elsewhere.