The country’s main regulatory body is the Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Inspection, and it legalised casino gaming, poker, bingo, and betting. The only form that’s not still legalised in its online format is fantasy betting. Moreover, Latvia offers several lottery games to its residents.
Gambling in Latvia was legalised in 1998, and since then, the country’s legislators have been actively working on the legal framework, which eventually resulted in the legalisation of online gambling. Before 1998, gambling was partially legal, as the first official casino opened its doors in 1991.
If you want to learn more about gambling licenses in Latvia, please read our guide carefully.
There aren’t specific types of gambling licenses in Latvia. In other words, the country has a one-fits-all license, but there are still a couple of things that you need to take into account when obtaining a Latvian gaming license.
Latvia has legalised basically all forms of gambling, including online gambling, which means you are free to offer casino games, poker, and sports betting in the country if you obtain the license. Latvian lawmakers made a detailed legal framework, meaning gambling in the Baltic country is well-regulated.
Still, the process of actually obtaining a license isn’t that easy. The good news is that our team of experts can help you with that and take care of the technical aspect so that you can focus on the business side. That way, we can speed up the entire process of obtaining a gambling license in Latvia.
Everyone who has a capital company registered in Latvia or is a foreign shareholder whose capital doesn’t exceed 49% could apply for a Latvian gambling license. This doesn’t apply to the investors from EEA or EU countries.
To obtain a Latvian gambling license, you need to provide all the necessary paperwork and be eligible for receiving the permit. In other words, you should meet some of the following conditions:
These rules mainly apply to the casino manager, and the Inspection reserves the right to deny you a license if you fail to meet the criteria above.
To receive a gambling license for the first time, you need to pay €427,000. However, if you’re going to offer only online gambling services (gambling via electronic communication services), the price is €200,000.
Re-registering your license costs €37,000. However, if you have any land-based venues in the country, you’ll be charged an additional fee:
The Inspection charges annual fees for individual tables and machines annually at the following rate:
The gambling tax is applied as follows:
For gambling conducted via means of telecommunication (in plain English — on the internet), the tax is always 10% of the income.
To apply for the license, you need to provide adequate paperwork for the Inspection. This includes:
Make sure to renew your license once a year and pay attention to all taxes, especially for land-based gambling. If you’re only going to run an online casino, you’ll have to pay 10% on taxes + license renewal fees.
If you’re uncertain how to apply and receive a Latvian gambling license, feel free to reach out at cs@softgamings.com, and our team of professionals will assist you with the entire process.
