Only two gambling halls could remain open in Riga
The Riga City Council discussed the municipality’s further action about the gambling ban approved last week.
Latvia.- The gambling industry in Latvia took a hard hit last week as the Riga City Council voted in favour of closing all gambling halls in the city except for those that are located in four or five-star hotels. After the city concludes this process, only two gambling halls could be operating in Riga.
As currently there are only two gambling halls located in a four and five-star hotel, the city could end up with just those two locations. The Riga City Council’s leaders said this week that although there are just two locations, it doesn’t mean that new gambling halls could open in hotels after the decision to revoke licences comes into force.
Aleksejs Roslikovs (Harmony), head of the Riga City Council’s Urban Development Committee, told local media LETA that at the moment there are 32 four-star and eight five-star hotels in Riga, but that he doubts that a new gambling hall would open at every one of these hotels.
Furthermore, Riga Mayor Nils Usakov told reporters that the municipality’s security, public order and corruption prevention committee could end up reaching a decision on liquidation of the first gambling halls in May.
A public opinion survey would be carried out in the near future to consider Riga residents’ options in regards to gambling halls, Riga City Council member Andres Ameriks said.
As reported last week, Janis Liepins, head of the Legal Department, said that despite the unanimous vote, the process will be long as they will discuss a decision for each gambling halls, and there are approximately 200 in Riga. The halls will have five years to shut down their operations and ultimately the city will be free of them no sooner than 2024.
Current regulations establish that if gambling operations on the particular locations create a substantial impairment to the interests of the State and its residents, the city or local government council can terminate the casino permit, a gambling hall, a bingo hall or a betting shop, LSM.LV informed.
