Simon Liddle reports from the Irish Gaming Show.
A MAJOR overhaul of Ireland’s gambling sector is anticipated when the Gambling Control Bill, which was announced last year by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, finally becomes law – the only problem is nobody knows exactly when that might be.
The bill would repeal Ireland’s antiquated gaming and betting laws, introducing a modern regulatory framework to a market that is considered – certainly by many holding Nevada licences – to be a grey one. Yet even in the absence of a new law, Ireland’s gambling industry is in fact regulated by specific pieces of legislation, one of which is the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956. The problem has not been a lack of compliance necessarily, but a rather relaxed attitude towards enforcement and a legal framework that is no longer fit for purpose.
Last year’s proposals were therefore heralded as an opportunity to bring the country’s regulatory regime up to speed not only with other leading jurisdictions, but also take into account changes in technology and consumer tastes. Crucially, it outlined a new licensing system that would supersede all that went before, meaning those with licences now must meet the criteria set out by the Office for Gambling Control Ireland - to be established by the law - in order to continue operating. For the first time in Irish law casinos would also be permitted, although the country’s members’ clubs are casinos in all but name. Fixed odds betting terminals were explicitly banned in the bill, while it also clarified the country’s stance towards regulated online gaming. Additionally, it removed the power to rescind the law from local authorities.
All of this was seen as long overdue, although some within the industry are quite happy to continue the status quo. The problem has been finding an opportunity on the legislative calendar to lay the bill before the Dáil Éireann. Given the size of the undertaking, this gap is not expected to emerge until spring 2015, meaning existing gaming, arcade and betting operators in Ireland would not see the effect on their businesses until late 2015 or 2016.
Read the full article in the April issue of InterGame
