Around €2 million has already been spent on the establishment of the Irish Gambling Regulatory Authority, starting in 2022. But due to delays in the legislation, the regulatory body still cannot start its work.
The bill on the regulation of gambling in Ireland began to be considered in 2022 and, according to Gambling Insider, is now in the final stages of its adoption. Since 2022, considerable funds have been allocated to the creation and optimization of the Gambling Regulatory Authority:
in 2022 – €161 thousand; in 2023 – €1.63 million; in 2024 (until March) – €303 thousand
The representative of the Ministry of Justice of Ireland, James Brown, explained why the adoption of the new law and the launch of the regulator are taking so long:
“This is a huge law. We are trying to regulate an area that is not actually regulated in terms of licensing. But we're taking a health and safety point of view, so we're also looking at anti-money laundering sections, child protection measures, etc.”
At the same time, this causes some concern among representatives of the gambling business, who have been waiting for the final adoption of the law for about two years.. In early April, representatives of the Lottoland company expressed concern over the fact that James Brown refused to meet with them to discuss current problems in the gambling niche and ways to solve them.
Brown did not specify the exact timing of the launch of the regulator, but noted that its operation will not require significant financial revenues from the state:
“The regulator will be self-financed through fees. We also have a social fund, so we will collect money from the gambling industry for education, treatment and awareness raising of citizens.”
The qov.ie website states that after launch, the regulator will primarily perform the following tasks:
ensuring the regulation of gambling in the state; establishing preventive measures to solve gambling problems; regulating gambling-related advertising; ensuring that gambling does not become a source of crime.
The newly created body will also regulate the national lottery and the collection of funds for holding lotteries by political parties. In many respects, the Irish Gambling Regulatory Authority will have the same responsibilities as regulators in other countries, including CRAIL in Ukraine. But when the body will finally start working and how much money will be spent on it, it is still unknown.