Latvia Advances Gambling Law Overhaul

The Budget and Finance Committee of the Latvian Saeima has formally endorsed a comprehensive package of amendments to the Gambling and Lotteries Law, sending the legislative measures forward for a full parliamentary vote. The proposed reform represents one of the most stringent overhauls of player protection frameworks and operational compliance requirements in the Baltic region, introducing strict parameters across both land-based and interactive gambling sectors. Key legislative provisions include raising the legal gambling minimum age from 18 to 21, restricting retail lottery purchases strictly to adults aged 21 and above, and enforcing a mandatory daily venue shutdown for physical gaming halls and casinos between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM. Additionally, physical gaming halls will face increased asset thresholds, raising the minimum requirement per venue from 20 to 25 slot machines, alongside mandatory visitor registration expansion and standardized rules for exterior venue branding and signage.

For the digital sector, the legislation proposes a strict 21-hour daily play cap per user across all licensed online platforms within any continuous 24-hour window, monitored via continuous user-session tracking tools. To enforce cross-operator compliance, Latvian authorities aim to establish a centralized 'common verification standard' requiring operators to integrate unified digital identification tools and personalized smartcard technologies. This centralized system is designed to automatically detect problem gambling behaviors, track cross-platform play sessions, and enforce self-exclusion registries.

This regulatory package follows a major administrative restructuring completed in April 2026, which abolished the standalone Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspectorate (IAUI) and consolidated all regulatory supervision and tax enforcement under dedicated divisions within the State Revenue Service (SRS). The governance shift is coupled with recent tax hikes that increased interactive gambling duties from 12% to 15%, sports betting taxes from 15% to 18%, and annual slot machine fees from €6,204 to €7,440. The incoming 15th Saeima must now weigh these heightened compliance burdens against pushback from industry bodies, including the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LTRK). Industry representatives warn that restrictive time caps, additional data obligations, and higher equipment thresholds could increase operational friction, potentially lowering channelization rates and driving players toward unlicensed, offshore alternatives.