Recently Alan Shatter, the Irish Minister of Justice and Equality, announced that the country’s laws on gambling will be reviewed soon. This will be carried out by the government along with making major changes in legislation governing online betting. According to Shatter, Ireland has intentions of modernizing its laws on gambling. Legislation related to this will be altered and passed by 2012.

Prohibiting Betting Terminals with Fixed Odds

The Irish Gambling Review will develop regulations to govern online gambling. Many in the industry in Ireland are of the opinion that the betting terminals providing fixed odds will be prohibited in the country. Shatter stated that this move will be in Ireland’s best interest. The laws governing the betting fixtures are those passed between 1931 and 1956. They don’t include regulations for online gambling, which many bettors have been opting for in the recent past.

He clarified that the current laws on gambling were developed with the aim of covering various aspects of the business. However, currently the laws are not capable of dealing with all of them. A taxation regime for both online and offline gambling has not been set in place. This is costing the government quite a bit. The minister stated that a revision of the gambling laws in the country has been long over-due. Casino operators like Paddy Power which offer a range of games like online roulette, are willing to pay taxes, as long as they are fair.

Casinos – A Profitable Business

The government has identified casinos as a profitable business that can attract many to the country. However, it will have to regulate the casinos that operate in the country. To facilitate this, the gambling legislation will include laws on limiting the number of casinos. Each casino operator who applies for a license will have to go through a series of checks. This will also include rigorous assessment of those promoting the casinos. According to him, licenses will be offered only to promoters who meet the standards the country sets for financial and personal probity.

The Irish government also has the challenge of regulating its private clubs. Its previous attempts to curtail these organizations have been ineffective. Along with making changes to gambling laws, the government will also alter laws pertaining to these clubs.

The minister stated that new legislation will be drawn for all forms of remote gambling. Any gaps in the current laws will be addressed. Presently, there is a merging of lines separating online gambling and betting. When developing the new laws, the government will consider this aspect too. He acknowledged that there have been changes in the technology used by site operators. The shift in people’s attitude to online gambling too has been acknowledged by the minister. He mentioned that the government has to realize this soon and catch up with it.

The inspection and licensing of gambling and casino sites will take place under the Ministry of Justice and Equality. Shatter said that his priority is to ensure that the public – especially the people availing the services of gambling sites – is protected. This will be possible if a number of controls are set in place by the Ministry. The review will commence the in the next few months.