Ireland to create an independent gambling regulator. By Luke Andrews, 26 March 2019. The government of Ireland has published a report calling for the introduction of an independent regulator for the gambling industry. The proposals to establish an independent gambling regulator by the Irish government has received full support of the industry. “You are going to be talking about money laundering, you’re going to be talking about problem gambling, enforcement, licensing, research, regulation, inspection, so you could have up to 100 people working in this authority with. There is “strong support” for the creation of an independent gambling regulator for NI, according to a Stormont department’s consultation. The Department for Communities carried out a consultation on gambling laws between last December and February. It received almost 400 responses. Unlike Great Britain, which has a gambling commission, NI. Northern Ireland Consultation Backs New Gambling Regulation 4th Nov 2020 Written by: Harrison Sayers Responses from Northern Ireland’s wide-reaching gambling consultation have been published, showing a depth of public support for a new independent regulator and a popular wish to strike out.

At the end of March, the Irish government revealed that it had approved the establishment of a national gambling regulatory authority.

David Stanton, Minister of State for the Department of Justice, announced the news, detailing that it was among the recommendations of a report published by the Inter-Departmental Working Group on the Future Licensing and Regulation of Gambling, which was set up last year.

The new regulator will be an independent statutory body under the auspices of the Department of Justice and Equality, with its aim being to effectively regulate the gambling industry to ensure that gambling is safe and fair. It will also be responsible for regulating and licensing all gambling activity, including online.

Vulnerable persons will also be protected under the authority, with staff training, age restrictions, self-exclusion measures, as well as advertising, promotion and sponsorship controls.

In a statement, Stanton said: “The Government has made a major commitment to the modernisation of our licensing and regulatory environment for gambling with the ultimate aim of creating a regulatory authority that will be self-financing through fees and levies imposed on licensed gambling operators.”

The International Association of Gambling Regulators’ (IAGR) president Trude Felde noted that “establishing a dedicated regulatory body for gambling in Ireland is great news and we look forward to watching how the new regime takes shape”.

Northern Ireland Gambling Regulator

At the same time, the Irish government announced that it will publish the Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Bill 2019, which modernises the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, with the amendment providing clarity around gaming licencing and lotteries for organisations, as well as standardising the minimum age requirements for all forms of gambling.

Ireland Gambling Legislation

Ireland Gambling Regulatory

Stanton concluded: “Gambling activity is of considerable economic impact in Ireland with an annual industry value of between €6-8 billion. I am certain that the two measures announced this week will help ensure the proper licensing and regulation of the many varied forms of gambling available.”