【Zeus slot 777 link alternatif】Ireland’s New Gambling Regulator is Up and Running

This week, Ireland saw the launch of its new national gambling watchdog, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland. After receiving Cabinet clearance, the new regulator has officially started operations.

The newly established controller will supervise all gambling-related activities in the country. It applies to both land-based and online gaming. Hence modernising the country’s gambling laws with a new regulatory framework.

GRAI is just part of the several gambling measures approved by the Oireachtas in October 2024. Its purpose is to protect the Irish people from the potential gambling harms.

James Browne, the Minister responsible for Gambling Regulation Act 2024, commented that at the time of passage he had to deflect “endless” pressure from industry representatives. In his words, these companies wanted to dilute gambling restrictions in the country.

A New Era

Upon signing the order for the creation of the country’s new gambling regulator, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan commented:

“The establishment of the GRAI is a further step towards replacing Ireland’s outdated gambling laws with a streamlined and simplified licensing framework, which will reflect the nature of modern gambling and take into account the harms associated with problem gambling, providing safeguards to protect people from those harms, especially children.”

O’Callaghan has also signed for the appointment of seven members of the new gaming regulator. They assumed their positions as of March 5, 2025. Their task would be to utilise their vast experience and expertise and help the regulator provide a safe gambling environment for the Irish public.

Paul Quinn has been selected as the Chair of the GRAI. Previously, he has served as a CEO at the Office of Government Procurement at the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and Director of Group Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Eircom.

Meanwhile, the other freshly recruited members are the following:

• Celine Craig
• Marion Kelly
• Rita Purcell
• David Hickson
• Michael McGrath
• Dr. Colin O’Driscoll

Each of the new members has plenty of experience in administration roles and will bring something different to the table. The new members have joined CEO Anne-Marie Caulfield and her staff at the wake of the regulator’s operations.

Welcome Aboard

CEO Anne-Marie Caulfield shared a few words on the launch of GRAI and welcomed the agency’s new members. Here’s what she said:

“I greatly welcome the appointment of the seven-member Authority and the establishment of the regulator. I would like to thank the Ministers, Oireachtas members, the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel and Department of Justice officials for their work in bringing about our establishment.”

The Regulator’s Responsibilities

As mentioned, the new regulator will be overseeing all gambling offerings in Ireland. Its inception is part of a larger initiative to establish an improved framework for the country’s gambling scene.

The agency is also in charge of issuing licenses, monitoring private operators, and ensuring that industry participants abide by the rules. Its launch is closely related to the growing alarms of increasing problem gambling and the issues surrounding illegal gambling activities.

In addition to the creation of GRAI, the bill would also launch a social impact fund, which will address problem gambling. That’s not all, as it would also prohibit gambling advertisements on on-demand services, TV, and radio between 5:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.

This will be an attempt to reduce children’s exposure to such gambling ads. Thus, protecting them from the appeal of these flashy commercials.

Improving the Process

As all gambling regulation now is in the hands of a single agency, the Irish Cabinet seeks to streamline processes, abolish regulatory loopholes, and establish a more controlled space for operators and the public.

The Cabinet reported that the new authority will receive a budget of €9.1 million for the new fiscal year. This way, the government will make sure that the watchdog has enough resources to operate efficiently and try to tackle problem gambling.

Its funds will most likely be channelled into the establishment of enforcement measures, licensing problems, raising awareness with public campaigns, and the recruitment of new staff members.

In addition to that, GRAI will now collaborate with the Advertising Standards Authority to manufacture new policies regarding gaming ads.

Bombarded by Ads

A research by the Institute of Public Health also confirmed that there has been a bombardment of gambling ads in recent years. The study was conducted by the Institute for Social Marketing and Health at the University of Stirling and published in August 2024.

It discovered that 18 to 34-year-old bettors in the country stumble upon gambling commercials nearly every day. One of the surveyed participants shared that they have seen gambling adverts almost everywhere.

Meanwhile, another individual noted that these ads can be seen on football kits, sports websites, when watching football or horse racing. In their words, the first ad always belonged to SkyBet or Paddy Power.

Overall, the study determined that the high awareness of gaming ads, promotions, and the fact that many participants discussed gambling marketing, suggested that it has become the norm and is now part of people’s routine.