Legislation

Ireland – EGBA welcomes publication Of Justice Committee Report on Irish gambling regulations

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.

Maarten Haijer, Secretary General, EGBA, said: “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.”