Latvian Government Issues Illegal Gambling Blacklist

The Latvian gambling regulator has released an extensive list of gambling providers prohibited from operating in the country.

Latvia’s gambling regulator, the Latvia Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspection, has released a blacklist of sites which are not allowed to operate legally within the country.

Latvian gambling laws permit online gambling but any companies providing online casino, sportsbetting or poker services must have appropriate licensing with the central regulator.

In order to obtain a gambling license in Latvia a company has to prove the majority of stock is held domestically and that the company’s capital fund exceeds €1,400.

During May of this year the country signed an agreement with neighboring Lithuania and Estonia to establish the “sharing or exchange of good practices in the field of supervision and control of the organisation of lotteries and gambling.”

Blacklist has some big names

The blacklist was compiled in accordance with a new Electronic Communications Law which went into effect on August 1st. Internet providers will be required to restrict the use of blacklisted sites on their internet platforms. This has sparked some controversy as providers are forced to bear the costs of the regulation.

The blacklist made gambling news primarily contains some of the world’s biggest internet gambling sites, including Bwin, PokerStars, Unibet, Bet365 and William Hill.