Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Bill Passes After Years of Debate

Key Takeaways 💬

• Ireland’s Gambling Regulation bill has now passed both Houses of the Oireachtas and a regulated gambling market will be enacted shortly in the country.
• The law is also about keeping consumers safe and responsible.
• Northern Ireland will now be the only part of the British Isles without a regulated gambling industry.

The regulatory framework provides a modern solution for players and brands and will regulate in-person as well as online gambling.

Minister of state James Browne TD celebrated what he called “a new streamlined, simplified and coherent licensing framework – one that reflects the nature of gambling in modern society and addresses the proliferation of digital gambling activities and advertising in recent years.

Though a lot of people will think of this as a green light for more casino brands and companies, the law is also about keeping consumers safe and responsible. Gambling ads are restricted until after 9:00pm, for instance, in one of the many changes aimed at building a fair and protective gambling industry.

The bill also outlines plans for a national self-exclusion register and there is also a new social impact fund that will promote responsible gambling as well as other safety factors and social initiatives. Revenue in the Online Gambling market in Ireland is projected to reach US$1.24bn this year and could continue to grow with new regulations.

Amid the new licensing regime will be three different types of licences. The different forms of licences that will be issued are:

• Business to Consumer Licences;
• Business to Business Licences;
• Charitable / Philanthropic Licences.

Unlicensed operators can also be prosecuted under new rules and the independent Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has a new set of enforcement tools.

The GRAI may immediately launch operations once a board has been agreed upon and the new body will receive €9.1m in 2025 to help with the initial startup costs. The CEO of this new organisation will be Anne Marie Caulfield who spoke in a statement about safeguarding players while helping to grow the industry. Anne Marie has extensive governance experience and has served on Audit, Finance, and Risk Committees of a number of public bodies including the Heritage Council.

Northern Ireland will now be the only part of the British Isles without a regulated gambling industry.