Mike Kirwan, who currently serves as Lottoland’s vice-president, said that he was unable to secure a meeting with the Minister of State at the Department of Justice James Browne with regard to Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Bill 2022, which Mr Browne is a proponent of. As reported by The Irish Times, Lottoland has a range of concerns surrounding the upcoming law. However, it has been around a month since Mr Browne sent a letter in which he sought to meet with the Minister to discuss the said concerns, and in contrast to the experience of other representatives of the gambling industry, no correspondence has been achieved thus far.
The Bill is set to introduce a range of regulations that will significantly change the gambling landscape in Ireland, and it will necessitate the establishment of the Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann (Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland). This entity will be tasked with regulating the industry and enforcing penalties on businesses that do not comply with its rules.
Some of the said regulations, however, are marred by ambiguity, and one such piece of legislation concerns caps on the money participants in lotteries can wager with and how much they stand to receive should they win. For Lottoland, this piece of legislation could spell trouble: it currently dictates that lottery payouts, excluding those of the National Lottery, will range between €3,000 and €360,000 at most.
Lottoland Is Unsure of Whether Lottoland Will Need to Abide by the Win Limits
Mr Kirwan told The Irish Times that Lottoland found it “deeply concerning” that a company that strives to be law-abiding could not get in contact with the officials who are drafting Ireland’s gambling laws. Additionally, in the letter he sent in March, Mr Kirwan specifically requested for the Minister to address a statement he had made while speaking with the hosts of Drivetime, a news programme aired by RTÉ Radio 1. According to what Mr Browne said during the radio programme, Lottoland is subject to the win limits of Ireland’s 1956 Gaming and Lotteries Act, something that Mr Kirwan claimed is false due to Lottoland’s status as a licensed bookmaker.
Whether the limits outlined in the Gambling Regulation Bill 2022 will apply to Lottoland is not yet clear, however, thanks to the ambiguity of the words “bet,” “betting,” and “game.” In his letter to the Minister, Mr Kirwan deemed clarification “essential” when it comes to ensuring regulatory compliance and preventing the situation of companies having to “seek clarity before the courts” after the Bill is passed.
It is unknown if the Minister has intentions to respond to Mr Kirwan’s queries before the Dáil Éireann (Lower House) reviews the Bill later this week. The Irish Times also attempted to reach out to the Department of Justice, but to no avail.
Lottoland is just one of a range of companies that have been less than enthusiastic about the upcoming regulations. In late March, Flutter’s CFO, Paul Edgecliff-Johnson, requested that government officials not go forward with a ban on free bets and other promotions deemed to be “inducements.” The horse-racing industry has also been consistent in protesting a planned prohibition of gambling ads that will make it illegal for broadcasters to air gambling-related advertisements between 5:30 am and 9:00 pm.
- Author
Daniel Williams
