Latvia has a gambling-specific support line — 29323202, run by the Skalbes crisis centre, open daily 12:00–20:00, anonymous, with no time limit on the call. Self-exclusion is a single online step: register at registrs.iaui.gov.lv with a Latvija.lv e-ID and you are entered automatically. It is free, lasts a minimum of 12 months and covers every form of gambling and interactive lottery in the Gambling and Lotteries Law. A psychiatrist or narcologist can be seen without a GP referral, state-paid apart from the patient co-payment.
| Gambling support line | 29323202 — Skalbes, daily 12:00–20:00, anonymous |
|---|---|
| Self-exclusion | Pašatteikušos personu reģistrs, free, running since 1 January 2020 |
| Minimum period | 12 months; you set the term in years |
| How to register | Online at registrs.iaui.gov.lv with Latvija.lv e-ID, at any gambling venue, or in writing to VID |
| Scope | All gambling and interactive lotteries under the Gambling and Lotteries Law |
| Free treatment | Psychiatrist or narcologist without a GP referral, state-paid with a co-payment |
| Regulator | State Revenue Service (Valsts ieņēmumu dienests, VID) |
| Legal gambling age | 18 |
Verified helplines
| Service | Phone / chat | Hours | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atbalsta tālrunis azartspēļu atkarīgajiem un viņu līdzcilvēkiem (Skalbes)Gambling-specific support line staffed by psychotherapy specialists; operated by the crisis and counselling centre 'Skalbes'. | 29323202 | Daily 12:00–20:00; anonymous, unlimited call timeLatvian | azartaatkariba.lv |
Helplines and online chat
Latvia is one of the few countries in the region with a line dedicated to gambling rather than to addiction in general: 29323202, staffed by psychotherapy specialists at the crisis and counselling centre Skalbes and aimed at both people who gamble and the people around them. It is open every day from 12:00 to 20:00, calls are anonymous and there is no limit on how long you can talk. The service publishes its directory of help at azartaatkariba.lv.
Outside those hours the European emergency number is 112. Other countries' lines are collected in our helplines directory.
If gambling losses have you thinking about ending your life, call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department. Everything else on this page can wait until after that.
Self-exclusion
The register of self-excluded persons (Pašatteikušos personu reģistrs) has operated since 1 January 2020, created by April 2019 amendments to the Gambling and Lotteries Law (Article 4.1) and detailed in Cabinet Regulation No. 333 of 16 July 2019. The ban covers participation in every form of gambling named in that law, including interactive gambling and interactive lotteries. It is free.
Four ways to file it
- Online at registrs.iaui.gov.lv, authenticating with Latvija.lv electronic identification. Registering this way enters you in the register automatically.
- At any gambling venue in Latvia, in writing. The operator passes the request to the State Revenue Service within three working days, and VID enters you on the next working day.
- In writing to VID in free form — you are entered on the next working day after it arrives.
- In person at VID, by prior appointment made on +371 62603112 or at vid@vid.gov.lv.
The ban starts once you are actually in the register, not when you send the request, which is why the online route is the one to use if today is the problem.
Length and coming off the register
You set the term in years, and the minimum is 12 months from the day you are entered. No earlier than 12 months after inclusion you may ask to be removed by submitting a written application in person. Left alone, the ban simply runs for the period you chose.
Comparisons with other national schemes are in our guide to self-exclusion by country.
Blocking gambling payments and sites
The register binds operators licensed in Latvia; a site licensed elsewhere is not connected to it. Interactive gambling and lottery operators carry a link from their own websites to the register's request page, so the process can often be started from the site you are trying to leave.
For everything the register does not reach, the practical layer is software on your own devices. See our comparison of gambling blocking apps for iOS and Android. If money is the immediate pressure, what to do about gambling debt is the place to start.
Free treatment and counselling
In Latvia a psychiatrist and a narcologist are both direct-access specialists: you can book a state-paid consultation without a referral from your family doctor, paying only the patient co-payment.
The services listed by the national gambling support line include the National Centre for Mental Health (Nacionālais psihiskās veselības centrs, the former Rīgas psihiatrijas un narkoloģijas centrs) at Tvaika iela 2 in Riga, 67080210; Ģintermuiža Hospital in Jelgava, 63022483; and Daugavpils Regional Hospital, 65405252. The Akrona 12 Minnesota programme and municipal social services are listed alongside them.
Support for family and friends
The Skalbes line on 29323202 is explicitly for relatives as well as for people who gamble, and Gamblers Anonymous meets in Riga as "Anonīmie spēlmaņi" (Tērbatas iela 69, 24667656, ga.latvija@gmail.com). The association Nepaliec Viens is also listed on the national gambling help directory.
Only the person themselves can be entered in the self-exclusion register — a relative cannot do it for them, even with a power of attorney. If the conversation is still ahead of you, read how to help someone with a gambling addiction and the signs of a gambling problem.
Gambling law and the regulator
Gambling is governed by the Gambling and Lotteries Law (Azartspēļu un izložu likums). Supervision and licensing sit with the State Revenue Service (Valsts ieņēmumu dienests, VID): organising interactive gambling and accepting bets is permitted only after a licence issued by VID. The register pages still carry the name of the Lotteries and Gambling Supervisory Inspection (Izložu un azartspēļu uzraudzības inspekcija, IAUI), whose website iaui.gov.lv now redirects to vid.gov.lv — the same service, a different institution on the letterhead.
The minimum age is 18: gambling premises must be arranged so that people under 18 cannot enter, and no higher age limit is set for interactive gambling.
Frequently asked questions
How do I self-exclude from gambling in Latvia?
Go to registrs.iaui.gov.lv and authenticate with a Latvija.lv electronic identification — that enters you in the register automatically. You can also file it in writing at any gambling venue in Latvia, send a free-form application to the State Revenue Service, or visit VID by appointment. It is free.
How long does the Latvian gambling ban last?
You set the term in years and the minimum is 12 months from the day you are entered in the register. You can ask to be removed no earlier than 12 months after inclusion, by written application in person; otherwise the ban runs its full term.
Does the Latvian register cover online gambling?
Yes. The ban applies to participation in all forms of gambling named in the Gambling and Lotteries Law, including interactive gambling and interactive lotteries. It does not reach sites that hold no Latvian licence.
Is gambling addiction treatment free in Latvia?
A psychiatrist and a narcologist are direct-access specialists, so you can get a state-paid consultation without a GP referral and pay only the patient co-payment. Treatment beyond that depends on the service; the Skalbes support line on 29323202 can point you to the right one.
Sources
- Pašatteikušos personu reģistrs — official register portal
- VID — Pašatteikušos personu reģistrs (application routes and timing)
- Azartspēļu un izložu likums (Article 4.1, licensing, age)
- Cabinet Regulation No. 333 (16 July 2019) on the self-excluded persons register
- LV portāls — How to apply for a gambling ban and how to be removed (2024)
- azartaatkariba.lv — where to look for help (support line and services)
- Nacionālais veselības dienests — specialists you can visit without a referral
- Nacionālais psihiskās veselības centrs (former RPNC)