🇱🇻For operators · Tax, marketing & compliance
Operating in Latvia: 15% tax, ad Ban
Online gambling is legal in Latvia on sites licensed by the State Revenue Service (VID), the regulator since 1 April 2026. Unlicensed sites and their payments are blocked.
Operator tax15%UpfrontEUR 1,600,000Licence termIndefiniteDecision time90 + 60 daysAnnual GGR300M EURActive licensees20
Product by product
Every online operator needs a Latvian-registered capital company with two VID licences, a certified system and a bank account at a credit institution registered in Latvia.| Product | Status | Licensed by | Tax | Key restriction | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports betting | Licensable | VID (organising licence plus interactive licence) | 15% of revenue | Latvian-registered company with EUR 1,400,000 paid-up capital; each game's rules approved by VID | Banned outside venues; a licensed betting organiser's registered trademark may appear in adult sport and sponsorship notices with an 18+ warning |
| Online casino and slots | Licensable | VID (organising licence plus interactive licence) | 15% of revenue | Certified system and a compliance report for each game programme; payout of at least 80% of stakes | Banned outside venues; no sponsorship exception for casino and slots operators |
| Card and dice games | Licensable | VID (organising licence plus interactive licence) | 15% of revenue | Payout of at least 80% of stakes; for card games between players the tax base is the commission taken | Banned outside venues |
| Interactive lottery | State monopoly | Latvijas Loto only | 15% (lottery tax) | No private operator can be licensed | — |
| Prediction markets and betting exchanges | Banned | No licence category | — | The Law allows only the games it names; VID has listed polymarket.com and kalshi.com as unlicensed interactive gambling | — |
| B2B supply (content and platforms) | Licensable | VID service-provider licence | Duty EUR 120,000 or EUR 400,000 at issue and each year | Needed where content is created, maintained or provided from Latvian territory; decision in 30 days | — |
Decided29 Oct 2026Saeima first reading of bill 705/Lp14
Will Latvia raise the minimum gambling age to 21?
Bill 705/Lp14, as submitted, would raise the minimum age for gambling and interactive gambling from 18 to 21. It would also add loyalty programmes for registered players, bar organising gambling between 06:00 and 09:00, and let VID supervise gambling advertising. The Budget and Finance (Taxation) Committee supported it for first reading on 21 October 2026, and the Saeima bill page shows the first reading adopted on 29 October 2026, with proposals due by 2 November 2026. The submitted transitional dates are out of date and will change in the second reading, so the final content is not known.
Regulator and player protection in Latvia
Regulator
Application authority and enforcement body
Self-exclusion scheme
Register of Self-Excluded Persons
How players exclude themselves; what it covers is in the player guide
Mandatory RG controls
No limit imposed on players
Deposit limits or reality checks the law requires operators to offer
Which casinos & betting sites are licensed in Latvia?
See the full official list of licensed operators and their authorised domains.
Heads-up for operators
3 items · last change 6 Nov 2026
Bill 705/Lp14 amending the Gambling and Lotteries Law passed its first reading in the Saeima on 29 October 2026 (as of 6 November 2026). As submitted, it would raise the minimum age from 18 to 21 and add a player risk-monitoring system. It is not law.
705/Lp14 Grozījumi Azartspēļu un izložu likumā
This record does not establish the bill’s substantive requirements or an effective date, so operators cannot determine any new obligations from it.
Source: 1From the official text · no research report yet
Bill 705/Lp14 passes first reading
As submitted, it would raise the minimum gambling age to 21. Not law.
Source: 2
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Getting licensed: apply to the VID
The licence, its cost and the steps are in the licence guide
4 licence types: Gambling organising licence; Interactive gambling licence; Gambling service-provider licence (B2B); and others. Year-1 budget From €1.6M. Fees, requirements, documents, certification and the step-by-step route are set out there.Read the licence guide
Gambling tax: 15% of GGR
Detail
Gambling organised by telecommunications pays 15% of its gambling revenue (stakes less winnings), whatever the game, from 1 January 2026; the rate was 12% in 2024 and 2025 (Lotteries and Gambling Duty and Tax Law art. 3(5)). The 18% (betting, telephone games) and 12% (bingo) rates apply to non-remote gambling.
- The licence carries a state duty
- EUR 200,000 where gambling is organised only online, then EUR 45,000 a year to re-register (art. 2).
Which foreign licences Latvia accepts
Latvia recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.
BlockedMalta (MGA)
A local Latvian license is required. MGA-licensed operators without a Latvian license are subject to ISP blocking.
United Kingdom (UKGC)
A UKGC license is not valid for offering services in Latvia. A local license is mandatory.
Curaçao (CGB)
Curaçao-licensed operators are considered unlicensed and are actively blocked by Latvian authorities.
Alderney (AGCC)
An AGCC license is not a substitute for a Latvian national license.
Kahnawake (KGCB)
This license is not recognized in Latvia, and operators are subject to blocking.
Anjouan
Anjouan-licensed operators are not permitted to offer services in Latvia.
Isle of Man (GSC)
A local Latvian license is required.
Gibraltar (GRA)
A Gibraltar license does not grant access to the Latvian market.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses restricted
Inducement ads: Banned
Latvia permits operators to offer various bonuses and retention tools to players on-site. However, the promotional environment is highly restrictive due to a near-total ban on the advertising of gambling and inducements across all mainstream media channels, which shifts the focus to on-site player retention.
What the player can claim
- Welcome bonus
- Restricted
- VIP schemes
- Allowed
- Loyalty schemes
- Allowed
- Cashback
- Allowed
The Law has no rule on bonus design, but it bans offering participation in a gambling game free of charge, as a gift or prize (art. 41(6)), and whether a deposit match counts as that is not settled. No bonus may be advertised outside gambling venues (art. 41(5)).
What the operator can advertise
- Channels off-limits
- television
- radio
- internet
- public spaces
- Messages ads may not give
- Advertisements must not give the impression that a player's skill can influence the outcome of a game of chance.
- Advertisements must not give the impression that gambling can solve financial problems.
- Mandatory disclaimer
Required content includes clear warnings about the risks of gambling, the potential for addiction, and information on the national self-exclusion register. Specific boilerplate text is not mandated.
- Penalties
Offering participation in a gambling game free of charge, as a gift or prize, is fined at EUR 7,000 for a company (art. 89(12)); a player taking part in unlicensed interactive gambling is fined EUR 70 to EUR 350 (art. 89(14)).
Since 1 April 2026 a Latvia-licensed betting organiser may show its registered figurative trademark, with no call to play, in adult sport (art. 41(5.1)-(5.2)). No watershed applies: the advertising ban is by place, not by hour.
Sources3
Advertising: banned or near-banned
Gambling advertising is banned in Latvia outside gambling venues, online and on air included (Gambling and Lotteries Law art. 41(5)). Since 1 April 2026 one exception lets a Latvia-licensed betting or totalizator organiser show its registered figurative trademark in adult sport; casino and slot brands have none.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Banned | Advertising interactive-gambling websites is banned outside gambling venues, online included (art. 41(5)); Google's advertiser certification does not change that. The one exception: since 1 April 2026 a Latvia-licensed betting or totalizator organiser's registered figurative trademark may appear in sponsorship announcements about a specific sports event, with the 18+ and self-exclusion warning (art. 41(5.1) pt 4, 41(5.3)).34 |
| App Store Publishing | Restricted | Publishing an app is not advertising, but the app may offer only what the operator's VID licence covers. Apple requires the licence (Guideline 5.3). Google Play allows real-money gambling apps in Latvia for lotteries only (as of 6 November 2026), and interactive lotteries are reserved to the state company Latvijas Loto.356 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Banned | Promoting a gambling app is advertising of interactive gambling, banned outside gambling venues (art. 41(5)). The one exception: since 1 April 2026 a Latvia-licensed betting or totalizator organiser's registered figurative trademark may appear in sponsorship announcements about a specific sports event, with the 18+ and self-exclusion warning (art. 41(5.1) pt 4, 41(5.3)).3 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Banned | Social-media advertising of gambling websites is banned on the same basis as other online advertising (art. 41(5)), whatever Meta's own permission process allows. The one exception: since 1 April 2026 a Latvia-licensed betting or totalizator organiser's registered figurative trademark may appear in sponsorship announcements about a specific sports event, with the 18+ and self-exclusion warning (art. 41(5.1) pt 4, 41(5.3)).37 |
| TV & Radio | Banned | Banned, save the sports exception: art. 41(5) bans gambling advertising outside venues, and the Electronic Mass Media Law bars commercial communications promoting products whose advertising is banned (art. 35(2) pt 3). A licensed betting organiser's trademark may appear in sponsorship announcements about a sports event (art. 41(5.1) pt 4), and unavoidable background advertising in a relayed sports event is allowed (art. 35(11)). No watershed applies: the ban is by place, not by hour.38 |
| Sponsorships | Restricted | For Latvia-licensed betting and totalizator organisers only, since 1 April 2026: their registered figurative trademark may appear at adult athletes' competitions organised by recognised federations, in the names of adult competitions, clubs and leagues, on adult athletes' kit and in sponsorship announcements (art. 41(5.1)). It may not invite play or suggest success (art. 41(5.2)) and carries the 18+ and self-exclusion warning at venues and in announcements (art. 41(5.3)). Casino and slot brands have no sponsorship route.39 |
| Digital OOH | Banned | Banned outside gambling venues (art. 41(5)). A licensed betting organiser's trademark may be shown at and during adult athletes' competitions, with the 18+ and self-exclusion warning (art. 41(5.1) pt 1, 41(5.3)). Any outdoor advertisement in a public place also needs a municipal permit (Advertising Law art. 7(2.1)).310 |
Channel rules for Latvia reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Latvia enforces against unlicensed operators
VID orders unlicensed gambling sites blocked and forbids banks and payment institutions to deal with listed unlicensed operators. In 2026, to 3 November, it listed 370 domains; polymarket.com (2024) and kalshi.com (2025) are on the domain list, and the payment-block register names 597 companies.
- Domain blocking under the Gambling and Lotteries Law and the Electronic Communications Law, published as open data with the date and reason of each listing.
- Payment blocking of listed operators (Payment Services and Electronic Money Law art. 44.2, since 1 July 2014).
- Taking part in unlicensed interactive gambling is fined €70 to €350 for the player (Gambling and Lotteries Law art. 89(14)).
Enforcement cases in Latvia: 4 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Latvia. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- April 2026
Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Inspection (IAUI)
LicensingRegulator attached to the State Revenue Service (VID)Under Cabinet Order No. 630 of 3 October 2025 the IAUI was attached to VID from 1 April 2026; VID took over licensing, supervision and the self-exclusion register.
Read-across: Licence applications, reports and correspondence go to VID since 1 April 2026.
- January 2024
Latsson Licensing SIA, William Hill Latvia SIA, Olympic Casino Latvia SIA
B2BLandmark lawsuit vs. StateThe Supreme Court affirmed that the government's 2020 decision to suspend all online and land-based gambling licenses during the COVID-19 state of emergency was unlawful.
Read-across: This precedent confirms the state is liable for damages from unlawful regulatory actions, allowing operators to seek significant financial compensation for arbitrary business interruptions.
- June 2022
Laimz
AMLFine EUR 52,263.90 (appealed)The former Inspection found that the company's customer due diligence and internal controls did not identify persons closely linked to a politically exposed person, and that it did not report a suspicious transaction.
Read-across: This signals heightened scrutiny on AML/PEP protocols, requiring all operators to review and strengthen their customer due diligence processes to avoid similar severe penalties.
- July 2014
Unlicensed offshore operators
Grey-MarketPayment blocking of listed unlicensed operatorsCredit and payment institutions may not deal with operators the regulator lists as unlicensed (Payment Services and Electronic Money Law art. 44.2, in force since 1 July 2014); VID publishes the list.
Read-across: This significantly curtails the grey market by disrupting financial flows, which reinforces the licensed-only system and raises the importance of holding a local license for market access.
Market size: 0.2996B EUR (2025)
Gross gaming revenue in Latvia is approximately 300 million EUR annually. The most popular form of gambling is Casino. Online gambling represents 57% of total GGR. A culturally distinctive product in this market is IIHF World Championship Betting.
GGR figure15
Licensed operators: 20
As of 6 Nov 2026, approximately 20 operators hold an active licence in Latvia. Size your entry against this base before committing capital. Check them yourself on the official VID register, which lists each licensee and its authorised domains.
Notable licensed operators
OlyBet
Betsafe (LV)
Laimz
SynotTip
Traps operators hit in Latvia
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
Strict Local Corporate and Capital Requirements
A licence goes only to a capital company registered in Latvia with at least €1,400,000 of paid-up share capital, and shareholders from outside the EU, EEA and OECD may together hold at most 49% (Gambling and Lotteries Law art. 8). At least half of the board must be tax residents of an EU, EEA or OECD state (art. 9(1)).
Sources3
Advertising Restrictions and Sponsorship Nuances
A general ban on gambling advertising exists outside of licensed venues. A narrow exception allows licensed betting operators to display trademarks at sports events and on uniforms, but these must not contain a direct call to action and must be accompanied by an 18+ warning and information about the self-exclusion register. Misinterpreting this exception can lead to compliance action.
Sources16
One body for licensing, supervision and tax
Since 1 April 2026 the State Revenue Service (VID) is the gambling regulator: the Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Inspection (IAUI) was attached to it under Cabinet Order No. 630, and VID took over licensing, supervision and the self-exclusion register. The same authority collects the gambling tax and duties.
Timeline: rules in force
- 29 Oct 2026
Study: Gambling advertising restrictions need to be clarified and supervision strengthened
Source: 18
- April 1, 2026
VID becomes the gambling regulator
The Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Inspection (IAUI) was attached to the State Revenue Service (VID), which took over licensing and supervision.
Source: 19
- January 1, 2026
Online gambling tax rises to 15%
Gambling organised by telecommunications pays 15% of gambling revenue, up from 12% (Duty and Tax Law art. 3(5)).
Source: 20
- January 2020
Register of Self-Excluded Persons
Cabinet Regulation No. 333 on the register of persons who have excluded themselves from gambling took effect on 1 January 2020; the minimum exclusion is 12 months (Gambling and Lotteries Law art. 4.1(3)).
Source: 21
- 2005
Gambling and Lotteries Law adopted
The Gambling and Lotteries Law was adopted on 17 November 2005 and took effect on 1 January 2006.
Source: 3
Operator myths vs reality in Latvia
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythAn MGA or Curaçao licence is sufficient to operate in Latvia.Reality
False. Online gambling for players in Latvia needs a VID organising licence and, on top of it, an interactive gambling licence (Gambling and Lotteries Law arts 10, 46(2)). VID blocks unlicensed sites (370 domains added from 5 January to 3 November 2026) and orders payment providers not to deal with unlicensed organisers (Payment Services and Electronic Money Law art. 44.2).
- MythWe can just set up a subsidiary in Latvia to hold the licence.Reality
Partly true. A Latvian subsidiary can hold the licence if it is a capital company with at least €1.4 million paid up (an SIA is enough); shareholders from outside the EU, EEA and OECD may together hold at most 49% (Gambling and Lotteries Law art. 8).
Sources3
- MythSince the regulator was merged into the tax office, enforcement will be less focused on responsible gambling.Reality
This is an unsafe assumption. Since 1 April 2026 the State Revenue Service (VID) is the gambling regulator: the Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Inspection (IAUI) was attached to it under Cabinet Order No. 630, and VID took over licensing, supervision and the self-exclusion register.
Markets that work like Latvia
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
- MauritiusAI overview
Online casino, betting and poker licensed; licensed market; GGR tax 10–20%; most ad channels banned; foreign licences mostly blocked.
- Sri LankaAI overview
Online casino, betting and poker licensed; licensed market; GGR tax 10–20%; most ad channels banned.
- BelgiumChecked
Online casino, betting and poker licensed; licensed market; GGR tax 10–20%; foreign licences mostly blocked.
- BulgariaCheckedItalyReviewed
Online casino, betting and poker licensed; licensed market; tax on GGR; most ad channels banned; foreign licences mostly blocked.
Methodology & sources
The research behind our Latvia coverage
Counted across every Latvia page, not this page alone.
compiled 6 Nov 2026
15
official websites
regulators, legislatures, courts
69
pages cited
specific documents, not homepages
248
sourced data points
each traced to the instrument
Across every Latvia page on this site: players, operators and the licence guide. The research report behind them cites official sources: the law, the regulator, the gazette, the courts and each platform’s own published advertising policy. Page sections not yet rewritten from the report may cite other sources.
The same research as a 70-page Latvia report: every one of the 201 checklist questions, each answer cited to the instrument behind it.
Request the Latvia reportOur Deep AI Scan took Latvia through all 201 questions of our regulatory checklist, from 68 official documents, read on 6 Nov 2026. Our research team then traced every figure on this page to the document and sentence that states it. The full research report is due to go to our compliance team. Where a fact rests on a press report or a law-firm summary rather than an official document, the page says so.
Documents cited on this page
- 1705/Lp14 Grozījumi Azartspēļu un izložu likumā — 1. lasījums
- 2Saeima: bill 705/Lp14
- 3Gambling and Lotteries Law (likumi.lv)
- 4Google Ads: Gambling and games policy
- 5Apple App Store Review Guidelines 5.3
- 6Google Play: countries where real-money gambling apps are allowed (Latvia: lotteries only)
- 7Meta: Online gambling and gaming ad policy
- 8Electronic Mass Media Law (likumi.lv)
- 9Amendments to the Gambling and Lotteries Law of 3 December 2025 (in force 1 April 2026)
- 10Advertising Law (likumi.lv)
- 11VID: blocked traders and domains
- 12VID / data.gov.lv: blocked domains 2026
- 13VID: register of blocked merchants
- 14Payment Services and Electronic Money Law, art. 44.2 (likumi.lv)
- 15VID open data: gambling revenue 2025 EUR 299,579,412.45 (lotteries not included), of which interactive gambling EUR 170,654,748.32
- 16Grozījumi Azartspēļu un izložu likumā
- 17Cabinet Order No. 630 of 3 October 2025: IAUI attached to VID
- 18Source
- 19Cabinet Order No. 630 of 3 October 2025 (likumi.lv)
- 20Lotteries and Gambling Duty and Tax Law (likumi.lv)
- 21Cabinet Regulation No. 333 (self-excluded persons register)
- 22VID / data.gov.lv: blocked domains
The 10 documents this page relies on most
- Azartspēļu un izložu likums (Gambling and Lotteries Law), consolidated text, edition in force from 1 April 2026Regulator
- Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 189 (27.03.2018) interactive gambling, interactive lottery and lottery ticket sales organising systems (as amended by MK 96 of 3 March 2026)Regulator
- Par izložu un azartspēļu nodevu un nodokli (Lotteries and Gambling Duty and Tax Law)Regulator
- Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 188 (27.03.2018) compliance report of the game programme of an interactive gameRegulator
- VID: Licencētie azartspēļu pakalpojumu sniedzēji (register of licensed gambling service providers, B2B)Regulator
- Noziedzīgi iegūtu līdzekļu legalizācijas un terorisma un proliferācijas finansēšanas novēršanas likums (AML/CTF Law)Regulator
- Cabinet Regulation No. 333 of 16 July 2019, register of self-excluded persons (as amended by Regulation 97 of 3 March 2026)Law
- VID: Azartspēļu pakalpojumu sniegšanas licences saņemšanas nosacījumi (conditions for the gambling service-provider licence, B2B)Regulator
- VID: Azartspēļu organizēšanas licences saņemšanas nosacījumi (conditions for the gambling organising licence)Regulator
- VID: Interaktīvo azartspēļu organizēšanas licences saņemšanas nosacījumi (conditions for the interactive gambling licence)Regulator
68 documents in all. Request the full research report for every source, answer by answer.
Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in Latvia (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the Latvia player guide.
Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 6 Nov 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with State Revenue Service (Valsts ieņēmumu dienests, VID). We are not a legal adviser.