Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe has expressed concern that children may be exposed to gambling on social media.
Raffles to win houses and cars have become popular on social media, but the Dublin North-West TD has expressed concern about children being exposed to gambling-like behaviour and questioned the legitimacy of such raffles.
Raffles, which allow people to enter for as low as €1 with a “chance” to win a house, operate in a legal grey area, which McAuliffe is keen to clamp down on.
McAuliffe has called on the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland to launch an investigation into online raffles.
First reported in the Irish Independent, the Fianna Fáil TD has written to the authority in an attempt to understand how these online raffles operate within the parameters set out by the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.
In the letter, McAuliffe wrote “I would welcome the Authority’s assessment of the potential risks associated with these competitions and whether the Authority intends to monitor these organisations as part of its work on regulating gambling practices.”
“I would be interested in the Authority’s view on whether the existing regulatory frameworks provide sufficient safeguards for Irish consumers, or whether additional legislative measures may be required as the sector develops,” he questioned.
The Fianna Fáil TD said that “clarity” is needed on how such “raffles” are advertised, and questioned if the child protection parts of the 2024 legislation was strong enough in this context.
He questioned how the Authority would be able to discern if these “raffles” involve elements of skill, rather than luck.
Per the Irish Independent, the various organisations that run these competitions on social media operate out of the North of Ireland, where gambling rules differ.
Speaking to the publication, the Authority said that while legislation was passed in 2024 by the previous government, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has yet to implement and enforce the laws surrounding gambling advertising.
Lotteries and raffles currently operate under the provisions set out in the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956, meaning they have not kept pace with modern developments such as online betting or, in this context, social media.