Latvias gaming oversight body has requested clarification on the legal standing of internet gambling following the enactment of new emergency regulations by the nation’s government to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The nation’s chief executive, Egils Levits, endorsed a legislative act on Sunday (March 22) that detailed steps to forestall and manage the national threat and repercussions of the spread of COVID-19. The legislation was approved by the country’s legislative assembly on March 20.
The law mandated the closure of all casinos, gambling halls, bingo halls, and wagering establishments in Latvia to curtail the dissemination of the virus.
Nevertheless, the legal position of internet gambling remains ambiguous. The legislation calls for the prohibition of wagering and lotteries, “with the exception of interactive gambling, digital lotteries, and scratch-off lotteries.”
In the subsequent section of the bill, it proceeds to state that the Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Authority “shall suspend all gambling licenses for physical gambling venues, … interactive media and/or through electronic communication services.”
The director of the legal division at the Latvian Gaming and Lottery Oversight Agency, Janis Ungurs, informed iGB that the organization is anticipating legal clarification from the legal department regarding two seemingly conflicting legal provisions. However, they are prepared to temporarily suspend online permits if legally mandated.
Ungurs stated: “The review process for online licenses will be made public in the coming days, once we obtain legal interpretation regarding these two sections from the Parliamentary Legal Office and the Ministry of Justice.”
On March 13th, the Latvian Gaming and Lottery Oversight Agency declared that they would not be accepting visitors from March 13th of this year until April 14th, 2020.
The spread of the epidemic has resulted in the closure of casinos globally. Last weekend, both the British and Australian Prime Ministers issued orders for the closure of all casinos and gambling establishments within their respective nations as a part of social distancing measures.
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