Ireland appoints first ever gambling regulator to oversee sector

From 2008 to 2016, she was the director of the Residential Tenancies Board and has been assigned a number of briefs during her time at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Set to be established next year, the Government’s long-awaited legislation to reform the gambling industry will see the regulator given powers of enforcement and a mandate to strengthen safeguards for problem gamblers.

Efforts to reform Ireland’s gambling laws were first mooted almost a decade ago, with proposed legislation gathering dust and not progressed. However, late last year, Junior Justice Minister James Browne published the general scheme of new legislation in this area.

Under the plans, the regulator would have powers to impose fines and other sanctions on gambling providers which breach rules.

Announcing the appointment of Ms Caulfield, Mr Browne said legislation is currently being prepared for publication in the autumn. The early appointment of a regulator – before legislation has passed to set up the regulatory authority – is aimed at minimising the time between the enacting of the new laws and the date when the regulator gets to work.

“Greater regulation of the gambling industry in Ireland has long been called for and is a key priority for me as Minister,” he said.

“This is an incredibly important piece of work from a social perspective and will make a real difference in preventing harm to people from problem gambling, but also to ensuring that modern and effective licensing and regulatory measures are in place for the industry.” 

It is expected the new regulator will be established and operational in 2023.