Gambling has been banned in the historic central part of Riga, the Latvian capital.

Olympic Entertainment Group

The City Council took the decision on Tuesday of this week and intends the ban will be fully in force within five years. Only licensed casinos in four- and five-star hotels will be exempt.

Closing regulations for each gambling hall in the city centre are now being prepared by the council’s legal department. The council will then have to vote on closing each venue separately and operators will have five years to implement the closure.

Olympic Entertainment Group reports that its operations – seven slots halls -  in the historic centre of the city will have to be closed by June 2022. Its main location in the city, the Olympic Voodoo is not involved as it is not in the designated area. The company considers that in the long run the ban actually has a positive impact on its Voodoo revenues.

The company operates 54 casinos in Latvia in all and employs 917 people, with total revenues before tax of €662m and an operating profit of €24.1m.