Irish government announce new betting laws commence today

According to Government news service MerrionStreet, Ireland’s Minister for Finance Michael Noonan made an Order to commence the Betting (Amendment) Act 2015 as of today (Wednesday 15 April 2015).

Included in the Ministers order are elements of the Finance Act 2011, Finance Act 2013 and the Finance (No2) Act 2013 relating to licensing provisions for remote bookmakers and betting intermediaries.

Pertinent facts in the Act affecting remote operators include:

Both remote bookmakers and remote betting intermediaries or exchanges taking bets from Irish customers must be licensed by Ireland’s Minister for Justice and Equality who has been named the designated authority for the issuing of Certificates of Personal Fitness to hold a bookmaker’s licence for terrestrial operators normally resident outside the State, a remote bookmaker’s licence or a betting intermediaries’ licence.

A Certificate of Personal Fitness must be obtained before applying for a license.

Licenses will be renewable every two years and cost in the region of Euro 10 000.

From August 1 2015, the 1 percent betting duty currently levied on terrestrial bookmakers will apply to remote operators, while betting exchanges will be subject to a 15 percent tax on commissions from Irish customers.

Unlicensed operators could be fined Euro 5 000, cases heard on indictment Euro 150 000 and/or imprisonment and repeat offenders face fines up to Euro 300 000, Mondaq reports.

While this development has been a long time coming, additional changes are anticipated in the Gambling Control Bill.

Applications and information on licensing can be accessed via :

http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB15000095

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/excise/excise-licensing/bookmakers-licences.html

The full text of the bill can be accessed at: http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2015/a715.pdf