The long-awaited reform of the land-based gambling and lottery landscape in Ireland has reportedly begun following the implementation from yesterday of the nation’s new Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019.

According to a report from Gambling Insider, the legislation was passed a full year ago and aims to update the Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956 to 2013 by comprehensively streamlining the process by which firms and individuals may apply for every manner of lottery and gambling license. The source explained that the measure has also instituted a plethora of enhanced consumer protections such as setting the minimum age for all types of licensed gambling at 18.

Added assurance:

Ireland is a nation of almost five million inhabitants and the new legislation has moreover introduced an increased range of penalties for those found to have contravened the rules that top out at a €50,000 ($60,450) fine alongside an up to two-year term in prison. The Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019 furthermore contains updated stake and prize limits for land-based gaming machines and directs that charitable causes receive a larger share of any lottery’s proceeds.

Coming change:

However, the source reported that the measures contained within the newly-enacted legislation are merely temporary and are expected to be amended sometime next year as part of an even more comprehensive and permanent overhaul of the Irish gambling market. Irish politician James Browne has been the country’s Minister of State for Law Reform since September and is purportedly now set to lead this revamp of what he called ‘a large and evolving industry.’

Browne reportedly pronounced…

“It must be the subject of a modern, sensible and effective licensing and regulatory approach. My department is now engaged in the drafting of a general scheme of a new bill to provide for that comprehensive reform.”