Latvia Online Casino License

Software Providers with Live Casino Studios in Latvia. As mentioned previously, Evolution Gaming and Playtech, two of the world's biggest software providers, make use of Latvia as a location for their live casino studios. Evolution Gaming were actually established in 2006, and unlike many other developers, they only settle on live casino game.

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Government halts igaming operations

After issuing an emergency COVID-19 bill, the Latvian government has decided to ban online gambling with immediate effect on Monday. This means players will no longer have access to igaming activities until the government decides to lift the ban.

bill will prohibit online gambling in Latvia through April 14

The bill will prohibit online gambling in Latvia through April 14, which marks the end of the nationwide lockdown. The date could be extended further, with a possibility that the ban could last as long as three months.

Emergency bill confusion

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Latvian president Egils Levits signed the emergency bill on March 22. However, at the time, the status of online gambling was unclear.

The initial filing listed a prohibition of gambling and lotteries, except for interactive gambling. It also included instant lotteries and numerical lottery games. The bill then stated that the Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Authority would suspend gambling licenses for physical venues, electronic communication services, and interactive media.

The wording caused some confusion and required further elucidation by the Latvian government. The language has since been clarified, with all online gambling operations required to shut down as a result.

According to Janis Ungurs, director of the legal department at the Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Authority, all online gambling sites are to cease operations on April 6, and the businesses concerned must complete all legal obligations with their customers.

Enlabs critical of the ban

Entertainment company Enlabs said the decision by Latvian government officials could lead to an increase in unregulated activity.

players will still gamble, though this time with illegal operators

President and chief executive Georg Ustinov warned that the bill would open the door for illegal operators. He pointed out in a complaint that Latvia’s parliament banned online gambling to protect players. The goal was to ensure that those who are vulnerable are not spending excessively. However, Enlabs said the government did not reach their goal by suspending the regulated market. Players will still gamble, though this time with illegal operators.

Global strict gambling measures

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The changes in Latvia come at a time when gambling regulators around the world are focused on protecting players amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Earlier this month, the Council of Ministers in Spain imposed harsher restrictions on gambling advertising. This was done to ensure that operators do not take advantage of new online customers during the nationwide lockdown. Advertisements will now only run for four hours a day from 1am to 5am.

The Latvian live dealer studios, as mentioned, provide more live games tables than any other land-based operator in Europe. So, you can definitely be sure of a strong selection of products to play. Apart from that, expect friendly and adept dealers to provide only the best of their abilities.

Latvia Online Casino License Online

Why Choose a Live Casino Studio in Latvia?

  • The world's leading Live Casino offering and infrastructure
  • Shared live tables, allowing licensee branding in the Live Lobby area
  • Dedicated tables and environments
  • State of the art technology and live streaming services

Software Providers with Live Casino Studios in Latvia

As mentioned previously, Evolution Gaming and Playtech, two of the world's biggest software providers, make use of Latvia as a location for their live casino studios. Evolution Gaming were actually established in 2006, and unlike many other developers, they only settle on live casino game products. Due to this, the company focuses all its attention on the one area, and in doing so, provides quality products. Holding studios in both Malta and Latvia allows the organisation to offer up three versions of Live Roulette (Immersive, Immersive Lite and Regular Roulette), and two versions of Live Blackjack, Live Baccarat, Live 3 Card Poker and Live Hold'em Poker, all of which can be viewed in Classic or 3D versions.

Playtech, on the other hand, was formed in 1999, and is headquartered on the Isle of Man. The company operates two live dealer studios, one of which is in The Philippines and the other, of course, in Riga, Latvia. The latter was launched in 2009 and provides the company's European market facing games. Because of their two offices, one within and one outside of Europe, Playtech provide a huge range of live casino games, with in excess of 50 tables available. These tables provide games such as Hi-Lo, French Roulette, European Roulette, Blackjack VIP and Blackjack Unlimited, amongst others.