Five years on and Ireland is still amending its gambling reform bill

In 2013 few thought that five years on the industry would still not have a fully approved Gambling Control Bill in Ireland, but the fact was highlighted this week when David Stanton, the Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration, requested Cabinet approval to set up an independent body charged with oversight of all gambling and betting in Ireland.

The move appears to be a revision of the original intention of the Gambling Control Bill, which proposed a national gambling department reporting to the Department of Justice.

Stanton’s proposed new authority would have wide-ranging powers related to all matters gambling, including promotional, sponsorship and advertising activity and precautions against problem gambling.

Whilst there is as yet no defined timetable to get the Gaming Control Bill properly up and running (including Stanton’s proposed new regulator), the government is under increasing political and business pressure to get the job done.

Stanton has emphasised the need to consult with stakeholders on the project, something that one would have thought had already been done.