A bill to update Ireland’s 60-year-old gambling laws can now be discussed in committees as it moves through the Irish legislature.
The bill passed its second reading in the legislature’s lower house Dail Eireann and received a motion to move onto the Select Committee on Justice and Equality.
The Irish gaming industry is estimated at €6 billion and €8 billion, but only pays about €100 million to the government. The industry is still governed by the Betting Act 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956.
The bill has raised some concern in the lower house after members sought to block allowing bets on online lottery type games.
According to The National Lottery, about €400m is wagered on these kinds of games outside of the official Irish Lottery. Opponents claim that these games “cannibalize” the National Lottery’s ‘Good Causes’ fund, taking €110m away from its pot each year that could go towards local culture, sport, recreation, and community projects.
Proponents of safeguards for the lottery want to see amendments to block such games discussed in
Minister of State, David Stanton also said the government has received legal advice not to accept the restrictions as that could lead to more demands from the National Lottery on the bill.
