IRELAND MARKET FOCUS
Transitional arrangements While the General Scheme had indicated that any remote betting licence or gaming licences/permits, issued under existing Irish gambling legislation, which were in place at the time of the commencement of the Act, would remain valid until such licences expire, the Bill isn’t clear on what transitional arrangements will apply to licensees – although it is expected that further clarity will be provided on this in due course. This will be particularly relevant for betting operators (including retail bookmakers, remote bookmakers and remote betting intermediaries) who are already licensed, as the renewal period for the licences is relatively imminent (with the current two-year licensing cycle being due to expire on 30 June 2023). Player safety Unsurprisingly this is a key focus of the legislation. The Bill seeks to enhance player safety through the proposed introduction of a number of restrictions, prohibitions and
licensing conditions (although a large part of the detail of these will be determined by the GRAI in decisions to come). Planned measures include for example: • Maximum stake and prize limits for relevant games and lotteries (but not commercial betting products) – initially set at a maximum of €10 in respect of payments for relevant games and lotteries, with limits on payouts of €3,000 for relevant games, €5,000 per week for periodical lotteries and €360,000 for one off lotteries. The list of “relevant games” will be set out by the GRAI • Licence holders will be required to ensure that customers can set monetary and time limits on their gambling • There will be a ban on using credit cards or extending credit facilities for gambling activities • The GRAI will have powers to limit the amount of customer lodgements • The GRAI will be able to prescribe days or times when gambling cannot be provided by remote means • The GRAI will be able to restrict betting on certain
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IMGL MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2023
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