Latvia proposes upping minimum gambling age
Latvia has advanced proposals to increase the minimum gambling age from 18 to 21 as part of a wider package of restrictions targeting online gambling and land-based gaming venues.
The country’s parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee supported amendments to the Gambling and Lotteries Law following deliberations on October 21.
The proposed legislation would also restrict lottery purchases to people aged at least 21 and introduce mandatory daily shutdown periods for gambling premises between 6am and 9am.
Online gambling operators would face additional restrictions, including a proposed limit of 21 hours of gambling activity within any 24-hour period.
The measure would require player activity to be monitored across licensed online gambling platforms rather than treating each operator separately.
Latvia also plans to introduce common verification requirements and a centralised system intended to identify customers showing signs of gambling-related harm.
Further changes would extend visitor registration requirements, increase the minimum number of gaming machines permitted in gambling halls from 20 to 25 and introduce standardised rules for venue signage.
The reforms follow an earlier restructuring of Latvia’s gambling regulatory framework, which brought licensing and enforcement responsibilities under the State Revenue Service.
The country has also increased gambling taxation, including higher duties on online gambling and betting operations.
However, the proposals have encountered opposition from business representatives concerned about the cost of implementation and the potential consequences for licensed operators.
The Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has supported individual risk monitoring but raised objections to the proposed online gambling time restrictions and additional compliance requirements.
The legislation has not yet been enacted, and no implementation date has been confirmed, with the proposals requiring further parliamentary consideration before becoming law.
