Online casino Latvia

In 2016, there were 14 operators operating in Latvia, 10 of which dealt exclusively with land-based halls. Now the number is much higher.

There are 6 casinos, 317 gambling halls and about 60 betting shops in Latvia. The total number of slot machines in the country is 8 900.

The main regulator of gambling business in Latvia is the Latvian Gambling and Lottery Supervision Inspectorate (Izložu un azartspēļu uzraudzības inspekcija).

Licensed casinos

There are 3 main laws that regulate gambling business in Latvia:

• Law on Gambling and Lotteries law enacted in 2006;
• Law on Lotteries and Gambling tax and fee;
• Law on Lotteries of Goods and Services (Law On Lotteries of Goods and Services).

The last two laws define taxation for different games and lotteries.

Each online slot machine, gaming table or slots application must be registered with the Latvian Gambling and Lotteries Supervision Inspectorate. The Inspectorate assigns a personal number, which does not change thereafter.

Latvian law defines the following types of gambling as legal:

• slot machines;
• card games;
• dice;
• casino roulette;
• sweepstakes;
• bingo;
• gambling, pieejams pa tālruni.

The rules of the game are determined by the operator. The document specifies absolutely all the data: the size of bets and so on.

If we compare the popularity of gambling in two different formats, it becomes clear that Latvian players mostly prefer slot machines with spinning reels in land-based casinos, with online gambling in second place and table games in third place.

As far as sites are concerned, only 7 online casino licences were issued in 2016. The license is valid for 1 year, after which the site administration can extend it.

But initially, online operators did not seek a licence because of the very high taxes. Until 2014 this market was considered ‘grey’. Later, the Latvian authorities approved the Electronic Communications Law and published the first blacklist, which included operators well known to players around the world.

At that time, the list consisted of as many as 980 websites. Later the trend has changed and many online casinos started to operate legally.

Responsible gaming

Both land-based and virtual casinos in Latvia follow responsible gaming rules aimed at preventing gamblers from becoming addicted to games. If the client has any problems with controlling his emotions, he can ask the administration to temporarily block his account. The minimum period of account blocking is 1 year.

Also operators of technical support offer the data of organizations that deal with addiction problems on request.

It is also worth mentioning the basic principles of responsible gambling, which are important to remember before starting to gamble:

• You should raise the stakes without haste, and it is advisable to start with minimal risk;
• Gambling should not be treated as a full-time source of income. Gambling is first and foremost entertainment;
• New slots should be tested in free demo versions to understand the rules;
• Start spinning the reels only in good spirits;
• Don’t blindly trust strategies from the internet.

These rules seem simple and straightforward, but alas, newcomers to the gambling industry often forget them in the pursuit of profit, which leads to losses and a negative impression of gambling.

Pros of playing at a licensed casino

There are many comments and stories from players who regularly play at online casinos in Latvia on the internet. Listed below are the main advantages of the gambling halls, which are most often mentioned by customers:

• Confidentiality and security of money transactions;
• Fast and hassle-free withdrawal of winnings;
• Large collection of slots;
• Lots of bonuses for players.

To appreciate these and other advantages of Latvian online casinos, you need to play for a while for money. Playing in free mode does not allow you to form a correct idea about the gambling hall.

Information security at the casino

Monetary transactions are conducted through encrypted channels. And users’ personal data is never shared with outsiders. Lithuanian online casino players can be fully confident that their accounts are safe. Access to them by unauthorized persons is completely excluded.

Latvian casinos deposit methods

As for gambling currencies, after the country joined the European Union, it became much more profitable to play in euros. The state decided to abandon the Latvian lat, so now all players replenish their accounts without conversion.

Apart from EUR other currencies like USD, CAD and so on are also suitable.

The main way to make a deposit is bank transfer. Sometimes you can use Luminor, Revolut, SwedBank, Trustly, PaySera, Citadele and SEB.

The minimum deposit amount is set personally by the administration of each online bank, but on average it’s 5 EUR.

One of the most popular banks in Latvia is Citadele Bank, which has been operating since 2010. There are a total of 44 bank branches in Latvia, but outside the country the number is much higher, as it is present in Sweden, Germany and Estonia. Citadele differs from banks in that everyone can get an American Express credit card there. It is used for payments in the USA and many other countries.

Casino deposit fees in Latvia

Some online casinos charge additional withdrawal fees. This information and the exact percentage of the fee is shown in the appropriate section on the website. It is recommended to pay attention to it before you create a withdrawal application.

At first, the fee may seem paltry, but if you use the same withdrawal method continuously, it becomes more significant. It is recommended to choose the best method for yourself right away. If the player cannot find this information on the website, he can ask for help from the online chat operators. Specialists of the Latvian casino will quickly help to understand everything.

Money Withdrawal from Casino

You can usually withdraw the money to your bank card. It is simple, convenient and secure due to 128 bit SSL encryption. Withdrawal methods may also vary depending on the player’s country of residence; therefore you need to verify this information specifically at your favorite online casino. As a rule, all information on deposits and withdrawals are published in the Cashier section and the FAQs with answers to the most common issues.

Casino Mirror

This is a round-the-clock access to the slot machines even if the official website is unavailable for some reason (technical maintenance work on the site, upgrades, etc.). A mirror is an exact copy of an online casino with identical functionality, control and design.

The main purpose of the mirror is to protect online casino customers from losing their winnings. The mirror is a kind of safety net during the game. For example, a person was spinning the reels on the official site and suddenly an error occurred. His winnings will not be burned and will not go anywhere. The user will be automatically transferred to any working mirror and continue the game. In addition, a copy of the site is needed for a person to be able to play his favorite slots at any time.

How can I tell the difference between a mirror and the official site? At the end of the domain address of a mirror you can see an extra number or letter. This is the only difference. As far as registration and logging in to different versions of the online casino is concerned, there are no problems. A player only needs to create an account once. Later on, he will use his account data for any version of the website, including all the mirrors.

Online casino support

The main contact methods available on the official Latvian online casino websites are:

• 24-hour online chat room;
• telephone number;
• email address.

A feedback form is also often available. Players can contact not only if they have questions or difficulties with the functionality, but also if they have ideas for improving the virtual site.

Registration at the casino

Registration is the key process at any online casino and is the key to winning real money, getting bonuses and other online casino features. Only adult users should create an account on the site. Getting around this rule will not work, as each casino customer must provide the administration scans of documents proving their identity.

What basic information is required when registering at an online casino? Most often it is about:

• email address or telephone number;
• login and password;
• date of birth;
• a currency convenient for gambling.

After logging in, the player must fill in all the fields in his profile with correct information about himself (name, address of residence, etc.). If the information in the profile does not coincide with the one stated in the documents, the player’s account may be blocked.

The administration of each online casino in Lithuania is doing everything possible to make the gameplay transparent. And before making a bet new users are urged to play some time in free demo modes. They are easy to understand the basics of gambling, the principle of forming payable combinations, bonus rounds and all the features of slots.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the questions most frequently asked by online casino customers.