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

Sports Betting in Latvia
Sports gambling is legal in Latvia, though for many years it was not. During the 50s and early 60s, a horse racing arena in Riga called the Hippodrome was the only place where Latvians could bet. Even then, most customers were Soviet military personnel. In 1965 the Hippodrome burned down, and sports gambling was once again made illegal until 1991. Sports betting grew slowly through the 90s.

Since 1999, Teletoto holds the only legal license to offer sports betting in Latvia. It operates under the brands Optibet and Latbet, and between the two there are just over 20 betting shops in Latvia, mostly concentrated in the country's capital Riga. These are typical European sportsbooks where punters can place bets on a variety of national and international events.

Online Sports Betting in Latvia
Optibet is the only true Latvian online sportsbook operating today. Through their website, Latvians can place wagers on a large variety of events, both local and international. The vast majority of wagers are on football matches, followed by ice hockey, basketball, and handball, with other sports barely covered. The service is available in Latvian, Russian, and English.

Latvians looking for better sports coverage can bet on sports at international online sportsbooks, though few do not accept players from Latvia. The Latvian government tries to impose a 10% tax on all profits taken by online gaming sites from Latvian players which causes friction with foreign-hosted sites. Still, there are many bookmakers online that accept players form Latvia, and a few even offer their site in Lavian.