The UK has had a gambling regulator since 2005 and has, like Ireland, witnessed a huge move towards online and mobile gambling in the last decade. The value of the Irish gambling market annually is estimated at €8-10 billion.

But Ireland, on the other hand, doesn’t even have a regulator yet and legislation drafted by the government in 2013 that would create one still hasn’t passed through the Dáil.

It comes amid calls for a dedicated gambling prevalence survey to understand the scale of the issues around problem gambling in Ireland as well as a problem gambling awareness campaign.

The HSE has said its own figures don’t paint an accurate picture of the scale of problem gambling in Ireland while a significant survey that includes statistics on gambling in Ireland won’t be published until mid-2021.

UK review

The UK first introduced its regulator, the Gambling Commission, 15 years ago. It provides licences to operators of betting, lotteries, bingos, casinos and remote gambling across the UK.

It sets requirements for those it grants licences to and can take action, including enforcement and fines, against those who breach the rules.

The fines it dishes out can run into the millions, such as a £2.8 million fine given to Boylesports last month after an investigation found the company failed to have appropriate money laundering risk assessment.

However, a review of the work of the Gambling Commission and gambling laws in the UK have been long mooted and, this week, the British government launched its landmark review.

It said: “Online restrictions, marketing and the powers of the Gambling Commission will be looked at as part of a call for evidence, to examine in detail how gambling has changed over the past 15 years.

“Protections for online gamblers like stake and spend limits, advertising and promotional offers and whether extra protections for young adults are needed will all be explored.

The review will also look at evidence on the action customers can take where they feel operators have breached social responsibility requirements, such as intervening to protect customers showing clear signs of problematic play, and how to ensure children and young people are kept safe from gambling-related harm.

In a debate in the House of Commons, the government was also urged to prevent social media influencers from encouraging children and young people to gamble.

Sports minister Nigel Huddleston said that action would also be taken on betting advertising in sport if there was “evidence of harm” in relation to it.

Separately, reviews are also under way in the UK into loot boxes in video games and into VIP schemes operated by gambling companies.

Situation in Ireland

Speaking to TheJournal.ie last month, Barry Grant from problem gambling charity Extern said that the government had been “twiddling its thumbs” for years on regulating gambling in Ireland.

New laws to regulate gambling were first proposed over seven years ago by the Fine Gael-Labour government with the Gambling Control Bill 2013.

However, this legislation that would modernise Ireland’s gambling laws has never been brought in and wasn’t advanced under the previous government.

In the new programme for government, a commitment is made in this area. It says: “We will establish a gambling regulator focused on public safety and wellbeing, covering gambling online and in person and the powers to regulate advertising, gambling websites and apps.”

When that will actually happen, however, is uncertain.

This week, Minister of State James Browne said that the development of modern gambling legislation is a “priority” for the government, in response to a parliamentary question.

“This reform includes a new independent gambling regulator to enforce necessary and appropriate licensing and regulatory measures in respect of all gambling activities, including online,” he said.

Work is underway in my Department on the drafting of a General Scheme of a new Bill to provide for the modern licensing and regulatory provisions for the gambling industry. That work will involve a major updating of the proposals of the General Scheme of the Gambling Control Bill 2013. I hope to be in a position to bring proposals in that regard to government next year.

At the end of November, Browne said that “seed funding” of €200,000 for the establishment of a new regulator had been granted under Budget 2021.