February 3, 2022
The information was prepared by Signe Birne, Head of the Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspection.
The gambling market report for 2021 prepared by the Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspectorate according to the operative reports of capital companies shows that last year Latvia’s revenue from gambling was 128.044 million euros or 83% of the 2020 result. Revenues from interactive gambling almost doubled last year, reaching 109.054 million euros.
At present, gambling is organized in Latvia by 17 merchants, nine of them are organizing face-to-face gambling in gaming halls and casinos, and 13 merchants are organizing interactive gambling. The industry employs 2,511 people.
Signe Birne, Head of the Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Inspection: “Last year, the amount of revenue decreased significantly and the share of gambling types in the total turnover of the industry changed. Due to the restrictions set by Covid-19 with this, the operating revenue of gaming machines in 2021 is 17.178 million euros, which is only 18% of the revenue in 2020. In turn, the revenue from interactive gambling is 109.054 million euros, almost twice exceeding the results of 2020. “
In January 2020, 8,595 gaming machines were operated in 305 gaming halls in Latvia, while in October 2021, before the closure of gaming venues, there were 208 gaming halls with 4,851 gaming machines, which is a decrease of 43%. The turnover of gaming machines makes up 13% of the total gambling revenue.
In the form of taxes and fees for special gambling and lotteries, 24.449 million euros or 44.4% of the planned amount were transferred to the state budget in 2021, including 16.657 million euros – 34% of the planned amount. Revenue from the lottery tax is 3.654 million euros, which is 18% higher than planned, as the sale of lotteries was not restricted in any way, and the state fee payments for lotteries and gambling licenses exceeded the plan by 13%, reaching 4.138 million euros. In the form of other taxes, the companies of the sector have transferred a similar amount to the budget as in 2020 – 26.447 million euros. It is planned to transfer 2.117 million euros to the municipal budgets.
Inspection officials have initiated and implemented new – remote – control measures to provide online controls for the organization of interactive gambling in a variety of areas (player protection, verification of gaming rules certificates, compliance with NILLTFPN law). At the same time, measures have been taken to curb the supply of illegal interactive gambling by deciding to block illegal sites and sending them to electronic communications merchants, payment and credit institutions in order to prevent money transfers to the current accounts of unlicensed operators. In 2021, 737 decisions on blocking illegal sites were made and they concern 735 domains, which is 34% more decisions than in 2020. In addition, both on-site and remote control measures have been taken to ensure that electronic communications operators fully comply with the requirements for blocking illegal sites.
In 2021, 47 inspections of electronic communications merchants were performed, inspecting the largest merchants several times – during the inspection, inspectors not only check the unavailability of the sites indicated in the last request, but also check the availability of all blocked sites published on the Inspectorate’s website. As a result, 95% of the total amount of illegal gambling sites in Latvian households is not available.
In 2021, 521 goods and services lottery permits were issued – due to restrictions, lottery organizers more carefully assessed the need to organize a lottery, as well as lotteries with longer lottery deadlines and correspondingly larger prize funds were organized, thus attracting more lottery participants. This is also confirmed in 2021 by the total prize fund in commodity lotteries, which reached 1.534 million euros, and 0.373 million euros were received in the state fee, exceeding the results of 2020 by 31%.
At the end of 2021, 24,623 persons were included in the Register of Self-Denied Persons maintained by the Inspectorate; on 31 December, there were 17,178 active bans. Last year, the Inspectorate provided 237 free consultations to gambling players and their relatives by a certified psychologist. “The self-denial register allows you to voluntarily refrain from gambling and interactive lotteries if it becomes a problem. The minimum ban on the register is 12 months, but there is no maximum limit of many years. that the player and his relatives receive specialist support by contacting a doctor, psychotherapist, psychologist, participating in support groups and using other available support mechanisms, “says Signe Birne.
More information on the results of the gambling industry in 2021 is available on the Inspectorate’s website.
The Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspectorate is a direct administrative institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance, whose task is to implement the state policy in the organization of gambling and lotteries and to ensure the legality of the organization of lotteries and gambling for the protection of public interests and personal rights. More information: https://www.iaui.gov.lv.
Additional information:
Signe Pear
Head of the Lotteries and Gambling Supervision Inspection
Tel. 67504954
E-pasts: [email protected]
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