Long awaited Gambling Regulation Act enacted 

Darren J Prior

Two weeks ago, Dublin People covered the historic passing of the Gambling Regulation Act through Leinster House. 

Within the last two weeks the legislation has been enacted by President Michael D. Higgins and Dublin People spoke to two of the leading people who were instrumental in seeing the legislation come to pass. 

Speaking to Dublin People the day after the legislation had been enacted Minister of State James Browne TD, who coordinated the legislation through Leinster House over the last 4 years, said: 

“I was very relieved that it was passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas and the President has now signed it into law.

“It has been a lot of work over 4 years. It’s a very complex piece of legislation – one of the biggest passed by the Dáil in the last 4 years, with 270 sections. 

“We are regulating a multi-billion Euro industry that so far really has not been regulated at all.

“Gambling has very much been the Wild West in this country for way too long and that has had real consequences for people having had their lives often destroyed as a result of gambling addiction and suffering serious losses as a result of problem gambling. 

“We came at this from a public health perspective to not simply regulate a massive industry but also making sure that that industry was regulated from a perspective of protecting the general public; problem gamblers and people with serious gambling addictions as well”. 

Also speaking recently to Dublin People on the enactment of the act Barry Grant, a gambling addiction counsellor and advocate with Extern Problem Gambling, said: 

“It’s great news and it’s a huge relief to see it get over the line especially as seen as we are so close to a general election.

“It’s great to see Minister James Browne put a huge amount of work into making sure that the Gambling Regulation Act was enacted.

“This is a huge step forward because we have been waiting and campaigning for a long time to see that happen so it’s a great piece of news to see this finally finished.” 

Central to the implementation of the legislation is the incoming Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland GRAI under the direction of CEO-designate Ms. Anne Marie Caulfield and her to be 8-person board. 

The authority will oversee a wide range of areas in seeing that the new law is implemented, including the bringing in and maintenance of a Social Impact Fund from levies on the gambling industry to fund State awareness–raising and educational measures and State gambling treatment services. 

Asked as to whether he agrees with the calls for the State and not the gambling industry to be the primary provider of these services Minister James Browne told Dublin People: 

“Absolutely.

“I want to see the State providing those resources and I think with this levy the regulatory authority will have those funds to be able to support those types of programmes.

“The word “education” is very much there in the legislation to be used by this levy funding and that will be I think very important”.