Ireland: EGBA welcomes publication of Justice Committee report on gambling regulations
18.05.2022
The publication of a new report by the Irish Parliament’s Justice Committee is an important milestone in Ireland’s efforts to establish a modern gambling regulation.
The Irish Parliament’s Justice Committee yesterday published its pre-legislative scrutiny report on the Government’s General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill, which aims to overhaul the country’s gambling regulations. The Committee’s report includes several recommendations for the Government to consider in its final deliberations on the Gambling Regulation Bill.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), representing Europe’s leading online betting operators, welcomes the Committee’s report as an important milestone in Ireland’s efforts to establish a modern gambling regulation. EGBA particularly welcomes the Committee’s recommendations that the incoming gambling authority should publish regular data about the country’s gambling market and that regulator-established codes of conduct should apply to all gambling operators.
Ireland is currently one of only two EU countries without specific, dedicated regulations for online gambling and EGBA fully supports the Government’s ongoing efforts to establish gambling regulations which are fit for the digital age. In this regard, EGBA welcomes the progress made so far and further encourages the Government to look to the best practices from those EU member states which have well-established and well-functioning gambling regulations.
The Committee’s report will now be sent to the Minister of State for Justice, James Browne TD, for his consideration, with a finalised bill expected later this year. EGBA looks forward to continuing a constructive, evidence-based dialogue with the Minister, Departmental officials, members of the Parliament, and other stakeholders as the bill progresses.
“We thank the Committee for its report and willingness to gather and consider stakeholder input during its deliberations. A collaborative approach is crucially important because it is in the interests of all stakeholders for Ireland to have a well-regulated gambling market. But there is also no need to completely reinvent the wheel: most EU member states already have well-established gambling regulations, and we encourage the Irish authorities to look to these for best practices.” – Maarten Haijer, Secretary General, EGBA.
About EGBA
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is the Brussels-based trade association representing the leading online gaming and betting operators established, licensed and regulated within the EU, including bet365, Betsson Group, Entain, Flutter, Kindred Group, and William Hill. EGBA works together with national and EU regulatory authorities and other stakeholders towards a well-regulated and well-channelled online gambling market which provides a high level of consumer protection and takes into account the realities of the internet and online consumer demand. EGBA member companies meet the highest regulatory standards and, in 2020, had 234 online gambling licenses to provide their services to 29 million customers across 19 different European countries. Currently, EGBA members account for 36% of Europe’s online gambling gross gaming revenue (GGR).
