Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill – Lexology

On 19 October 2021 the Irish Government approved the publication of the General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill1 (the General Scheme) which sets out the framework and legislative basis for the establishment of a new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (the Authority). On 17 May 2022 the Joint Committee on Justice (the Committee) published its Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill2 (the Report) in which it sought to scrutinise the proposed legislation and provide recommendations on areas where it believes change or amendments are warranted.

The Committee heard evidence and submissions from key stakeholders, identified several issues and made recommendations on these as set out in detail in the Report. The Report summarises the engagements with stakeholders as well as the key points considered by the Committee when drafting the recommendations set out in the Report.

Recommendations

The Joint Committee made the following recommendations:

Conclusion

The Government has committed to establishing a gambling regulator focused on public safety and well-being covering online and in-person gambling which is focused on public safety and well-being, with the powers to regulate advertising, gambling websites and apps. The recommendations of the Committee are largely focused on protecting players and the vunerable from the harms that can arise from gambling.. These recommendations and the measures contained in the General Scheme will fundamentally alter the landscape for gambling in Ireland once the long awaited Gambling Regulation Bill is enacted.

The Government has approved the Gambling Regulation Bill for priority drafting and publication. There is now a clear pathway mapped for this legislation progressing, which will facilitate the Authority being established and operational in 2023. In addition, applications have now closed for the post of the CEO Designate of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland. The Public Appointments Service is currently interviewing candidates and it is expected that the start date and on boarding process for the new CEO Designate will be announced in Q3 2022.

After numerous false dawns in the past it would appear that Ireland is now well on the road to reforming the regime which exists in Ireland for gambling.

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Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill - Lexology