Official language: Latvian
Population: 2,261,100
Currency: Lats (LVL)

Current Exchange Rate
1 EUR = 0.7066 LVL
1 GBP = 0.7747 EUR
1 USD = 0.4724 LVL

Casinos in Latvia
Because gambling was illegal for much of Latvia's history, the first casino didn't open its doors until 1991, shortly after the country regained its independence. There was no regulation of gambling at the time, so casinos spread like wildfire, popping up all over the country. Not all of them made it this far, but there are still around 20 casinos in Latvia today, along with hundreds of small gambling halls offering just slot machines.

One of the reasons that the number of Latvian casinos has decreased over the years is the introduction of strict rules by the government. Casinos must now have at least 10 tables (if in Riga; 5 is the minimum elsewhere), and video surveillance must be installed. Not all establishments have been able to keep up with these regulations. But as incomes grow, and the Latvian economy strengthens as a result of EU benefits, the number of casinos is expected to increase once again.

Online Casinos in Latvia
Online gambling in Latvia is legal , and has been for several years. Unfortunately, not all online casinos accept players from Latvia. In 2003 the Latvian government decided that all online gambling sites that accept Latvian players must pay a 10% tax on profits they receive from Latvians. Many establishments don't want to deal with this, so they simply deny access to players from Latvia.

There are still many European and international online casinos that accept Latvian players. There are even a few that offer a Latvian language translation of their site. As time progresses and the Latvian government solidifies their rulings about online gambling in the country, more Latvian internet casinos are sure to become available.