Today, the Riga City Council’s Committee on Security, Order and Corruption Prevention supported a draft of binding regulations titled “On Restrictions for Organizing Gambling within the Administrative Territory of Riga Municipality.”
During the committee meeting, it was noted that there are currently 76 gambling venues operating in Riga. Once the new regulations take effect, each venue will be evaluated for compliance with the new rules, and a separate decision will be made for each.
Deputies were informed that a public survey was conducted during the drafting process. The results showed that approximately half of the population believes gambling halls in the capital should be closed, while a large share believes they should at least be restricted.
The proposed regulations would prohibit gambling venues near educational institutions, railway stations, bus stations, airports, and other specified locations.
Unlike the previous restrictions, which banned gambling across the entire city except in four- and five-star hotels, the new regulations define specific places and areas in Riga where gambling will not be permitted.
These regulations were developed based on the recommendations of the Constitutional Court and take into account the results of a public consultation held in February of this year.
The draft regulation stipulates that gambling will not be allowed on municipal property, in neighbourhood centres, on the grounds of educational establishments and within 300 metres of them, in railway stations, bus stations, airports and passenger ports and within 500 metres of them, and within 300 metres of public transport stops.
Gambling will also not be allowed in the areas of detached, low-rise and high-rise residential buildings defined in the Riga Territorial Plan and within 300 metres of the boundaries of these functional zones, as well as in cultural monuments and their territories, their protection zones and the areas of building protection defined in the Riga Territorial Plan.
Municipal representatives emphasize that the restrictions do not cover the entire municipal territory and do not affect the rights of commercial entities to open or expand gambling venues within four- and five-star hotels
The intended goal of the restrictions is to protect the population from widespread visibility and accessibility of gambling venues in the urban environment, thereby reducing the risk of people engaging in gambling impulsively during daily routines
The municipality notes that these limitations will benefit a wide range of the public.
A five-year transition period is planned for enforcing the new restrictions, starting from the date when the municipality revokes previously issued permits
The final decision on the binding regulations regarding gambling restrictions in the capital will be made at the Riga City Council meeting on the 26th of March
As previously reported, six years ago the Riga City Council decided to close 42 gambling halls located in the city’s historical center and its protection zone, allowing exceptions only for four- and five-star hotels.
To extend the closures to other parts of the city, Riga’s municipality included such provisions in its 2021 territorial plan. However, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development temporarily suspended the plan, delaying the closures. This decision was later overturned, and in autumn 2023, Riga City Council decided to revoke 139 permits for gambling venues outside the city center.
However, gambling operators filed complaints with the Constitutional Court, which ruled that a blanket ban on gambling across the entire city was unconstitutional.
In its judgment, the Court urged the municipality to justify restrictions based on the specific characteristics of each location. In response, the municipality has now developed a new set of binding regulations with clearly defined criteria for evaluating city areas and identifying specific locations where gambling will not be allowed.