Connect with us
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025

Baltics

Court Declares Rīga’s Ban on Gambling Unconstitutional

Published

on

court-declares-riga’s-ban-on-gambling-unconstitutional
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

The Constitutional Court of Latvia said on April 4 that it had deemed the restriction on the organisation of gambling throughout Rīga unconstitutional, as the municipality has not justified why gambling is prohibited in the specific areas.

The case was brought before the Constitutional Court following applications by the gambling companies Olympic Casino Latvia Ltd, Alfor Ltd and Joker Ltd. They requested an assessment of the compliance of the Rīga spatial plan with Article 105 of the Constitution, which provides for the right to property that may be restricted only following the law. Compulsory expropriation of property for public needs is only allowed in exceptional cases on the basis of a separate law against fair compensation.

The contested norm provides, however, that the organisation of gambling and the provision of gambling services are prohibited in the entire administrative territory of Rīga, except where such gambling venues are located in four- or five-star hotels.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Six years ago, the Riga City Council decided to close down 42 gambling venues in the city centre, and last September it decided to cancel 139 permits for gambling venues outside the city centre. They must close within five years.

The Constitutional Court found that the organisation of gambling is a legal commercial activity existing in conditions of free competition.

The legislator has given the municipality the competence to assess independently which areas or territories of the municipality should be subject to restrictions on the organisation of gambling. The municipality is also entitled to designate an unlimited number of areas in the spatial plan where gambling is not allowed. However, the municipality must comply with the principle of territorial assessment laid down in the authorisation granted by the legislator.

The Constitutional Court found that the municipality had failed to state reasons why the organisation of gambling was prohibited in the functional zones of the spatial plan, where commercial activities were envisaged as one of the permitted uses of the territory.

In accordance with the principle of assessment of territories laid down in the Law on Gambling, the municipality must assess, for example, in the spatial planning process, the built-up area and the location of infrastructure facilities, the population density, the interests of residents and traders and other relevant aspects which may be the basis for imposing restrictions on the organisation of gambling.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

No such assessment has been carried out by the municipality prior to the establishment of restrictions on gambling throughout the territory of Riga.

The Constitutional Court held that the restriction on fundamental rights contained in the contested norm was incompatible with Article 1 and the first, second and third sentences of Article 105 of the Constitution.

The post Court Declares Rīga’s Ban on Gambling Unconstitutional appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Baltics

SYNNET CMS Officially Live in Latvia

Published

on

synnet-cms-officially-live-in-latvia
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

After extensive development and rigorous testing, the SYNNET Casino Management System is now fully operational at Joker.lv gaming halls in Latvia. This marks a major milestone in the company’s long-term vision of delivering a powerful, intelligent and scalable solution for managing gaming establishments with maximum efficiency.

The launch of SYNNET represents a shift in the way casinos and gaming halls are monitored, managed and optimised. Designed to streamline daily operations, enhance decision-making and improve overall efficiency, SYNNET provides comprehensive control over every aspect of a gaming venue.

Among its standout features, SYNNET includes:

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

• Integrated jackpot system – Seamlessly manage and customise jackpot configurations across multiple gaming machines.

• Advanced dashboards & widgets – Get real-time insights into casino performance, financials and player behaviour through an intuitive and fully customisable dashboard.

• Floorplan management – A visual representation of all gaming machines and tables for optimised space utilisation and operational efficiency.

• Marketing campaign automation – Target and engage players effectively with built-in tools for promotions and personalised offers.

• Geographic mapping of operations – Gain an overview of all locations, allowing for efficient monitoring and remote management of multiple branches.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

With 35 branches and 1150 gaming machines now fully integrated into the SYNNET ecosystem, casino operators can leverage data-driven insights to enhance performance and player engagement like never before.

The post SYNNET CMS Officially Live in Latvia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Baltics

The Lithuanian Gaming Control Authority (LPT) has completed its inspection: Olympic Casino has been fined almost 8.4 million euros

Published

on

the-lithuanian-gaming-control-authority-(lpt)-has-completed-its-inspection:-olympic-casino-has-been-fined-almost-8.4-million-euros
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

The company Olympic Casino Group Baltija (OCGB) did not take sufficient steps to identify the origin of Šarūnas Stepukonis’ losing funds, and the monitoring of his financial transactions was only formal and ineffective. Such violations were identified by the Gaming Supervisory Authority, which conducted an inspection of OCGB’s activities in Lithuania. The company was fined almost 8.4 million euros.

The Gaming Supervisory Authority (LPT) investigated the actions taken by OCGB in response to Š. Stepukonis’ transactions on the company’s gaming website from December 2016 to the end of June 2021. The law obliges gaming operators to ensure that customer funds are not obtained from criminal activities or through participation in such activities. It is also mandatory to verify the origin of the funds. LPT found that the measures applied by OCGB were poor and insufficient, and the monitoring of Š. Stepukonis’ transactions was formal.

Gambling organizers must report suspicious transactions to the FNTT. Š. Stepukonis’ transactions had obvious signs that should have raised suspicions for the gambling organizer. However, the FNTT was not informed about this.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

During the inspection, evidence was also collected that Š. Stepukonis’ gambling was irresponsible. The gambling company should have noticed this, especially since the client was assigned a personal manager who saw all of his transactions.

“Instead of finding out whether Š. Stepukonis had a gambling problem or informing the supervisory authority, Olympic Casino encouraged him to gamble even more. An individual incentive package was prepared for him. A total of 1.3 million euros was allocated for this. This “bonus” could only be spent on gambling. Other incentives were also allocated,” – comments on the results of the inspection by LPT Director Virginijus Daukšys.

Since mid-2021, gambling companies in Lithuania have no longer been allowed to offer incentives to their customers that they would later lose. Just before this tightening came into effect, Š. Stepukonis’ virtual gambling was moved from Lithuania to Estonia, where it was still allowed to encourage gamblers.

In this way, it was possible not only to maintain incentives for gambling, but also to avoid supervision by the LPT. If an ordinary gambler from Lithuania tried to go and register on the Estonian Olympic Casino website, he would be redirected to the Lithuanian website. However, in the case of Š. Stepukonis, the redirection was not carried out. These circumstances are part of the pre-trial investigation.

During the inspection, a total of five violations of the provisions of the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and the Law on Gambling were identified.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The law allows for a fine of up to twice the amount of damage caused. The damage was determined to be 6.4 million euros – the amount Š. Stepukonis lost at the Olympic Casino in Lithuania. When calculating the fine, an aggravating circumstance was taken into account – the company did not cooperate during the inspection.

According to V. Daukšys, after this story came to light, steps were taken to prevent similar cases from recurring. The most important change is the law, proposed by the LPT, which obliges gambling companies to take action upon noticing irresponsible gambling and to provide information about it to the LPT.

“Until now, there was no such obligation. Therefore, the LPT did not have information that would allow it to take preventive actions in advance,” says V. Daukšys.

The new Gambling Law will come into force in November this year. Its aim is to reduce the accessibility, attractiveness and potential harm to personal health of gambling.

LPT also reviewed its procedures, adjusted internal procedures, allowing for more frequent scheduled inspections of the activities of gambling companies. In addition, the Ministry of Finance conducted an audit of LPT’s activities. No significant operational deficiencies were identified during the audit. LPT took into account the audit recommendations and allocated more human resources to money laundering prevention functions.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

 

Source: Gambling Supervisory Authority under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania

The post The Lithuanian Gaming Control Authority (LPT) has completed its inspection: Olympic Casino has been fined almost 8.4 million euros appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Baltics

PaymentFarm Rolls Out Innovative AI Anti-Fraud System and Global Card Processing Solutions for PSPs, iGaming and High-Risk Markets

Published

on

paymentfarm-rolls-out-innovative-ai-anti-fraud-system-and-global-card-processing-solutions-for-psps,-igaming-and-high-risk-markets
Reading Time: < 1 minute

PaymentFarm, a global leader in payment processing solutions for high-risk industries, announced a series of groundbreaking advancements aimed at helping iGaming businesses and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) expand their operations and significantly reduce processing costs. This year, PaymentFarm has successfully integrated an AI-driven anti-fraud monitoring system into its platform while introducing the most competitive card processing rates available worldwide.

In today’s fast-paced digital economy, high-risk sectors such as iGaming face unique challenges—ranging from fraud prevention and compliance complexities to managing steep transaction fees. Recognizing these hurdles, PaymentFarm has taken decisive action to address them head-on. The newly integrated AI anti-fraud system offers real-time transaction monitoring and intelligent risk analysis, effectively reducing chargebacks and minimising raudulent activities. By harnessing sophisticated machine learning algorithms, the system detects anomalies and patterns that traditional methods often miss, ensuring that each transaction is secure and that businesses can operate without disruption.

At the same time, PaymentFarm has overhauled its card processing framework to offer unmatched global rates. By collaborating with a broad network of financial institutions and payment channels, the company delivers secure, scalable solutions that enable iGaming operators and PSPs to manage costs more effectively while expanding into new markets. These strategic improvements not only lower operational expenses but also help businesses navigate regulatory challenges and meet the ever-evolving demands of global commerce.

“At PaymentFarm, we understand that businesses operating in high-risk sectors require not just robust security, but also cost-efficient and scalable payment solutions. Our commitment to innovation is evident in our recent integration of AI-powered fraud detection and our relentless pursuit of the best processing rates in the industry. We are excited to help our clients overcome traditional barriers and achieve sustainable growth worldwide,” Olga Strelnikova, Senior Business Developer at PaymentFarm, said.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The post PaymentFarm Rolls Out Innovative AI Anti-Fraud System and Global Card Processing Solutions for PSPs, iGaming and High-Risk Markets appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania