The Irish government has announced the entry into force of the Games and Lotteries Act 2019 which has been amended by introducing new temporary measures for market operators.
The law, as adopted by parliament in December 2019, was designed to help streamline and modernize the process of applying for permits and licenses, as well as to better protect minors from gambling damage.
According to an announcement by the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Gambling Regulation, James Browne, the Irish gambling market is foreseen for extensive regulatory reform, and therefore the new Interim Gaming and Lotteries Act will be put in place. application in an offer for youth gambling on the field and their promotion.
The amended 2019 act will seek to modernize the process of applying for lottery and gambling permits while protecting potential ground-based minor players from the minimum age set at 18 years of age. In addition, small gaming companies will also benefit from the efficient application process.
James Brown, Minister of State with special responsibility for regulating gambling, welcomes the new amendment stating that:
“This act modernizes the Games and Lotteries Act of 1956 and will help to better promote local gaming and lottery activities. These activities, carried out mainly for charitable and philanthropic purposes, are the essence of our sports clubs and community organizations across the country. “
Therefore, in order to summarize the points of the 2019 Amended Act, the following are the new measures:
- Simplify and modernize the process of applying for gaming permits and lottery permits and licenses for smaller-scale gaming and lottery activities.
- Protect minors by standardizing the minimum age for all authorized gambling at the age of 18, including Tote bets.
- Make sure more of the lottery proceeds go to charity. Thus, no more than 75% of the total participation in a bingo hall can be allocated to prizes, at least 25% being allocated to charitable or philanthropic purposes.
- Update the stake and prize limits for authorized gaming machines, with a provision for the minister to change the amounts by regulation. Thus, the limit on the maximum stake on gaming machines will change to EUR 5 (GBP 4.51 / USD 6.07), while the highest prize is now set at EUR 500.
- Provide an important public interest in supporting the better promotion of games and lotteries and improving consumer protection.
Minister Browne added that “gambling is a big and evolving industry”
“It needs to be modern, responsive, and effective in licensing and regulation. My department is now working on a general outline of a new bill to provide for that comprehensive reform. ”
These measures will be temporary until Ireland decides to implement more extensive regulations, which are expected to come into force in 2021.
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