Irish government to establish independent gambling regulator

The Irish government has greenlit the creation of an independent Irish gambling regulatory authority, as part of two initiatives aimed at reforming the country’s gambling industry.

The recommendations follow the publication of a report by the Inter-Departmental Working Group on the Future Licensing and Regulation of Gambling in Ireland. The main proposal of the report is the establishment of an independent Irish gambling regulator to regulate all forms of gambling in Ireland.

As a part of these reforms, the Irish government has proposed the Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Bill (2019), which modernises the earlier act, first instituted into law in 1956.

David Stanton TD, the Minister of State in charge of gambling regulation said the government had made a “major commitment” to the modernisation of the industry. The Department of Justice and Equality will now draft the necessary political agreement and begin to determine the resources required to create the regulatory regime.

The Irish Prime Minister said he anticipates the regulator being up and running within 18 months.

Stanton added: “It will require resources. However, the ultimate aim is that the regulatory authority will be self-financing through fees and levies imposed on licensed gambling operators.”

Under proposals, the regulator will use these levies to create a social fund to develop research, information campaigns and treatment for problem gambling. The amount and frequency of these levies has yet to be confirmed by the Irish government.

Speaking about the levies, Alan Heuston, partner and head of the Betting & Gaming Group at Irish law firm McCann Fitzgerald, said: “Operators will no doubt want to ensure that the level of contribution, license fees and taxes are sustainable and not prohibitive to market entry.”

The working group also recommends that all betting contracts with licensed gambling operators be made enforceable contracts and has recommended an alternative dispute resolution mechanism be developed.

Heuston added: “Existing Irish legislation has widely been accepted as being outdated and not fit for purpose. These changes will help to modernize the regime in Ireland which on an overall basis should be good for everyone given that it will facilitate a better regulated market of responsible operators, it will provide further protection for consumers and vulnerable persons and finally will provide a modern and stable regime for operators to work within.”

Sharon Byrne, chairperson of the Irish Bookmakers Association, said an independent regulator and gambling control bill would lead to better consumer protections and support for those who may be vulnerable to addiction.