Ninety-two percent of industry stakeholders support Irish gambling reform
Mandatory contributions to problem gambling treatment and self-exclusion regime among measures under consideration
Over 92% of Irish gambling industry stakeholders have voiced their support for the Irish government’s proposed reform of the Irish market, according to law firm McCann FitzGerald.
The law firm was commissioned by the Structural Reform Support Service (SRSS) of the European Commission in December 2018 to conduct a research project with the objective of “informing and shaping the future framework for the regulation of gambling in Ireland”.
As part of this research, several industry-led surveys were conducted with a variety of stakeholders including operators, sporting bodies, broadcasters, enforcement agencies and those involved in protecting consumers and dealing with treatment for gambling-related harm.
The project is expected to run until mid-summer 2019 and comprises three phases, a review of the existing legislative and regulatory framework, an assessment of required regulatory objectives and finally a proposal for a regulatory authority.
Echoing the Irish government’s earlier comments, 88% of industry stakeholders surveyed said the new Irish gambling regulator should be independent, citing it as a critical factor as to remove any perception of external influence on regulatory policy. Four percent of survey respondents did not agree, highlighting concern as to the time it might take to create a regulator as a factor.
The precise make-up of the regulatory body has yet to be finalised, however the earlier measures outlined by the Inter-Departmental Working Group on the Future Licensing and Regulation of Gambling in Ireland report previously stated that the regulatory body should be self-financed from licensing fees charged to operators.
The creation of a social fund for problem gambling treatment, like that of UK charity GambleAware, is also one of the measures under consideration as part of the research project.
However, it is understood that the current recommendation of the Inter Departmental Working Group is that this social fund should be paid for via mandatory contributions from licensed gambling operators and not voluntary ones, as is currently the case with GambleAware.
Finally, EGR understands the development of a self-exclusion register is also being considered as part of the project.