The famous luck of the Irish has finally come through for those hoping for new gambling legislation. Alan Shatter, the Minister for Justice for Ireland, just released a published account of the Gambling Control Bill of 2013 that makes online gaming legal through licensing. The legislation also limits both the amount of casinos and the size of casinos on the island.
Out with the Old, In with the New
The contents of the new legislation outlines exactly which casinos and gamin operations require licensing: essentially, all of them. Any person or entity that offers gambling services to Irish citizens, whether the company is physically based in Ireland or not, must be licensed. This bill affects every current and future gambling service except the National Lottery.
The bill replaces any and all current arrangements for anything other than the National Lottery, including poker, online gambling, casinos, bingo, betting on sports and other lotteries. The new legislation is seen as a step forward for Ireland with most experts agreeing that this is a proactive move on the country’s part. The move is seen by some as preparing for the onslaught of online gambling options now that the United States is moving towards legalizing online gambling as a country, instead of at the state level as it is currently doing.
Legislation with a Purpose
Of course, the highly Catholic country of Ireland also has some other purposes. Not only is it meant to regulate the new gambling sector that has come to fruition over the past decade, but it’s also meant to help protect the population from gambling addiction. Putting strict licensing laws and regulations in place will help ensure that entities and persons offering gambling services will not be preying on the weak, vulnerable and young.
It will ensure that advertising for such gambling sites and casinos be realistic and honest, while also providing contact numbers for gambling help hotlines and the like. Further, the legislation makes certain that there is uniformity across the boards, helping to bring a solid legal interpretation to any situation that should arise.
