Irish lawmakers set to expedite languishing gambling control bill

Irish lawmakers are hopeful that new gambling legislation replacing existing laws for gambling, will finally be voted on in the new year after languishing in the drafting process for almost four years.

Under fire in the Irish parliament recently over the Gambling Control Bill that was introduced in 2013, junior Justice Minister David Stanton acknowledged that the bill is at present still being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, but pledged that it will be “proceeded with at the earliest feasible opportunity”.

The government has been widely criticised for the lackadaisical approach to the legislation, which is expected to include safeguards to protect both children and people with gambling problems.

The new legislation is also expected to update all existing laws concerning the regulation of online and land gambling, with the National Lottery a noteworthy exception.

Government spokesmen have blamed “complexities in implementation” for the delays in bringing the bill to a vote.

“The Minister is very much aware that there are a number of areas of concern to members of the public and to the wider community in relation to gambling and he and the department are working to progress these issues as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson for the Department of Justice told local reporters this week.

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