The ruling party of the Republic of Ireland, Fine Gael, has pledged to complete a total gaming regulatory overhaul, which has been dubbed the “Gambling Control Bill.”
Last week, Minister of State for Equality & Integration David Stanton, the told the Irish Times that the government was frustrated at not being able to pass reforms last year, something it has tried to do for five years.
Last November the government approved a 2 percent turnover tax, but it was delayed after many in the betting industry complained that the tax would force many betting operations to shut their doors, with a resulting job loss.
Stanton told the Times that this year the “arcane laws” dating back to 1956 and 1931 will finally be addressed. The dated regulations have kept the betting sector from employing modern digital operations and policies, said Stanton.
He said another goal is to create “Gambling Control Office” that would monitor advertising, fight underage gambling and enforce social responsibility orders.
