EGBA speak at stakeholder seminar on Irish gambling bill

16.05.2019

On 15 May, the European Gaming and Betting Association’s Dr. Katie Hartmann, Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, spoke at a stakeholder seminar in Dublin about proposed changes to the gambling regulations in Ireland.

The seminar, organised by the Irish Department of Justice and Equality, followed the publication of the Irish Government’s Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Bill 2019 on 20 March 2019, which is part of a  legislative package to regulate gambling activity in Ireland, including the online sector. The new bill foresees the creation of an independent gambling regulator and a number of other changes to Ireland’s gambling framework.

EGBA welcomes the proposal to introduce a regulatory authority for gambling and thank Minister Stanton and his departmental team for their ongoing commitment and efforts to regulate online gambling in Ireland.

Ahead of the seminar, Dr Hartmann said:

“We welcome the proposal to establish an independent gambling authority and will follow closely the discussions on how the new regulator will be established and the powers it will have.

It is in the interest of everyone involved in the gambling sector – companies, players and policymakers – to have a well-regulated online gambling market, which provides legal certainty and protects Irish players by ensuring they can play within a regulated environment. To enable this a Gross Gaming revenue tax, among others, is of crucial importance so that licensed gambling operators can offer a competitive product.

For the law to be a success it should introduce a licensing system which is competitive and establishes a high degree of standards for operators and consumers alike.

All reputable operators already have responsible gaming tools in place, but regulation should make those obligatory for all operators on the Irish market. Likewise, the Irish authorities should consider introducing a self-exclusion register for those who have, or are at risk of, problem gambling behaviour. These punters should be able to exclude themselves from accessing gambling websites if they feel the need to.

We look forward to the finalisation of the draft law and will work constructively with the proposed gambling authority to implement it.”