Latvia bans online gambling during Coronavirus crisis

Government forces all online gambling operators to close their digital doors.

Latvia.- The government has decided to extend the prohibition on gambling and lotteries to all online gambling sites while the country battles the Coronavirus pandemic.

The country’s emergency bill – signed by President Egils Levits on 22 March – initially left the status of online gambling unclear. It called for a prohibition on gambling and lotteries “except for interactive gambling, numerical lotteries and instant lotteries.”

However, the clarifrication has been given and the bill now states that the Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Authority “shall suspend all gambling licenses for physical gambling venues […] interactive media and/or via electronic communication services”.

This means that all online gambling sites are obliged to stop operations from today until further notice.

According to the Coronavirus bill, the ban will be in effect until 14 April, but analysts say that it was extremely likely it will be extended, possibly for as long as three months.