Gambling in Latvia
All forms of gambling in Latvia are legal, as of March 2017.The first gambling activities in the country are associated with its gaining of independence in the 90s. In the summer of 1991 the first casino was registered in Latvia. At that time, the number of companies, who organized different kinds of lotteries in Latvia country also increased due to the unregulated gambling market. Currently however, the respect of the Latvian gambling laws by the land-based licensed gambling companies is overseen by the Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspection of Latvia (Izložu un azartspēļu uzraudzības inspekcija).
Online Gambling in Latvia
The online gambling market in Latvia was legalized and regulated in 2003.The Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspection of Latvia (Izložu un azartspēļu uzraudzības inspekcija) is the official body for supervision of the online gambling in the country too.Currently, as of March 2017, there are six online operators in the country licensed to offer poker, betting and casino services online.
The changes in the Latvian gambling law introduced in 2011 also aim at banning the IP addresses of unlicensed sites in the country, as well as restricting the age limit to 21 rather than 18. Due to this policy many international gambling sites are not available in the country.