Ireland’s interim gambling act comes into force

Ireland’s new interim Gaming and Lotteries Act has come into force ahead of wholesale regulatory reform of the Irish gambling market in 2021. The Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019, which modernises the promotion of land-based gaming, standardises the minimum gambling age at 18 years. It aims to streamline and modernise the application process for gaming and lottery permits and licences for smaller scale, local lottery and gaming activity. Increasing charitable proceeds from lottery games is also targeted, as well as the introduction of stake and prize limits across traditional land-based games.

Crucially, the act paves the way for the creation of a new gambling market and regulatory entity, with ministers securing “seed funding” of €200,000 (£179,772) as part of the Irish Ministry of Justice’s budget allocation for 2021. “Gambling is a large and evolving industry,” Irish Minister of State for Law Reform James Browne said. “It must be the subject of a modern, sensible and effective licensing and regulatory approach.” The Irish government has committed itself to establishing a gambling regulator focused on public safety and wellbeing with the power to regulate advertising, gambling websites and apps. Passage of the act is the latest step in this process and follows a report by the Inter-Departmental Working Group on the Future Licensing and Regulation of Gambling in Ireland, which was published in 2019. Since then however, the process has been beset by delays, firstly due to Irish political uncertainty and then by the coronavirus pandemic. In September, the government admitted these twin factors had caused “logistical demands” and confirmed the regulator would not be live by the end of 2020. Aside from licensing and regulatory enforcement, the new Irish regulator is set to be given responsibility for a national self-exclusion register, as well as powers to regulate advertising and sponsorships by gambling firms. The regulator, which will function independently from the Irish government, will also administer a social fund to support research, information campaigns and treatment for at-risk gamblers. Under proposals, this fund would be supported by levies on licensed operators, with the ultimate aim of making the regulator self-financing.