Irish gambling bill to require online licences
Gambling Control Bill extends licensing regime to include online gambling with 1% betting tax expected to follow
Irish-facing online gambling operators will have to apply for a licence to operate in the country under the terms of a new bill published by the Irish Government yesterday.
The Gambling Control Bill requires all gambling operators, land-based and online, to apply for a licence to operate in the country, and replaces all existing gambling laws including the Betting Act 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956.
It follows on from the Betting Amendment Bill, which was put before the Irish Cabinet last month and discussed introducing a 1% levy on gambling bets made online and a 15% commission tax on betting exchanges.
“The [Gambling Control] Bill will give Ireland a well regulated gambling system that will be recognised as such internationally,” The minister for justice, equality and defence Alan Shatter said in a statement.
“This legislation has the twin objective of effectively regulating the new and dynamic gambling sector that has emerged in recent years, while also providing the opportunity to introduce important new measures to protect vulnerable adults and young people,” he added.
A new Social Fund, financed from contributions paid by service licence holders, will be established to promote socially responsible gambling and to assist in the treatment of problem gamblers. Shatter said he would make sure that all operators contribute to “the development of services needed by people for whom gambling has become a problem”.
The Bill also includes provisions on advertising, consumer complaints procedures and restrictions on the number of land-based casinos.