Online casinos in Latvia are closed for quarantine
As is known, with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, land-based casinos were closed in most countries. In this regard, in some countries there was a significant increase in the income of virtual clubs and gaming resources, as gamblers could not come to terms with the fact that their favorite places of entertainment were closed and went to have fun on various gaming sites. In Latvia, the Saeima deputies decided to restrict the work of not only land-based casinos, but also online establishments, which is introduced during the emergency situation.
Recently, an amendment was submitted to the Latvian Saeima for consideration, which proposed lifting the ban on online gambling services. The above-mentioned amendment was submitted by Saeima deputy Yuliya Stepanenko. If it were adopted, online casinos would be able to operate online again. According to the deputy, operators of virtual establishments have enough restrictions. In particular, they are required to notify gamers who have played too much that their session has dragged on. In addition, any gaming platform must have information about where visitors addicted to the game can get qualified help.
However, most deputies believed that in times of crisis, the ban on online gambling cannot be lifted, as most citizens are having difficulty filling their family budgets. Losing the last of their money in a casino is unacceptable at such times. One of the deputies recalled that some addicted gamblers manage to lose their child benefits. And if in normal times this is simply an unpleasant incident, in the current circumstances this is unacceptable.
Despite the fairness of all that was said above, one of the deputies (V. Dombrovsky) supported Stepanenko's amendment. According to him, such bans can have a negative impact on the situation with gambling addicts. They will not stop playing, but will simply start registering in unlicensed casinos, where the risk of fraud is too high. That is, by banning licensed establishments, the deputies of the Latvian Saeima involuntarily gave the green light to illegal resources to operate. In addition, the ban on official online gambling leaves most specialists employed in this field without salaries, and this is an additional burden on the country's budget, from which benefits will have to be paid to unemployed citizens.
