Latvia resumes gambling reform bill and proposes raising minimum age to 21

The Budget and Finance Committee introduced a long-delayed gambling reform package for its first parliamentary reading and on 21 October endorsed the amendments in principle. The proposals would raise the minimum gambling age from 18 to 21 and add stricter player-monitoring requirements; no implementation date has been set and the committee intends to leave remaining work to the next Saeima.

What the draft changes propose

The package contains measures affecting both online and land-based operations. It would raise the legal gambling age to 21 and specifically prohibit under-18s from purchasing retail lottery tickets. Venues would be required to pause operations between 06:00 and 09:00. Online gambling would be limited to 21 hours within any 24-hour period, whether in a single session or several sessions. Visitor registration would be expanded and video-recording retention increased from seven days to at least 30 days.

The draft also raises the minimum number of machines in a gaming hall to 20–25.

Industry response and next steps

Latvia's licensed gambling association warned that raising the minimum number of gaming machines per hall could force about 30 venues to close, put 240 jobs at risk and reduce annual gambling tax revenue by around €4.46 million. The association has requested revisions, arguing market and player behaviour have shifted since the legislative process began in 2019.

The committee first received the government-backed bill on 26 September 2024, more than two years before this endorsement. The 15th Saeima will decide which provisions proceed through subsequent readings, whether they are substantially revised, or dropped. The provisions described are not law unless the Saeima passes them and they take effect.