Implementation of an Irish Gambling Control Bill first approved in 2013 has been delayed again as the country considers creating and independent gambling regulator.
David Stanton, Irish Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration asked the country’s cabinet for a delay to draft a new version of the bill.
The original bill had the country’s Department of Justice regulating gambling. Stanton and other ministers have proposed that an independent authority be set up as a regulatory body. The body would the gambling industry including youth concerns, social responsibility initiatives, advertising and sponsorship, and the protection of those vulnerable to addiction or exploitation. The full licensing process will also be reviewed and updates are also expected to be made to gaming machine laws.
Current gambling laws in Ireland date back to a 1956 bill and there have been numerous calls from both inside and outside the industry for the government to adopt new gambling laws. Irish bookmakers Boylesports and Paddy Power have been among the groups calling for a new law.
