Ireland Gambling Control Bill
One of my first questions on promised legislation was on the status of the general scheme of the gambling control Bill of 2013. According to the then Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, the issue was the technological complexity of the industry. He admitted that the revised Gambling Control Bill would act as a comprehensive reform of gambling regulations in Ireland, with no pre-existing structures to build on. While Ireland has regulated online gaming since 2015, this was not introduced as part of a broader overhaul of the current regulatory framework, which has been in place since 1956.
The gambling laws in Ireland can be confusing simply because of the changes that have taken place over the last 10 years within the regulatory structure of the Irish gambling industry. While all of these changes may be hard to keep up with, they demonstrate Ireland’s commitment to remaining relevant and keeping pace in a thriving, technology driven industry that will not withstand an outdated set of statutes or laws.
This page was developed by experienced gambling industry professionals who have an insightful and thorough understanding of legal online gambling in Ireland. They are not lawyers however, and do not provide legal advice or professional legal services of any kind. If you are seeking legal advice concerning gambling in Ireland, we suggest you contact an attorney who specializes in gambling laws.
Gambling Laws in Ireland
Regulated gambling in Ireland began taking shape in the mid 1800s with the Betting Act of 1854, and has very slowly evolved into the more modern regulatory structure you see now. Ireland’s lawmaker have worked hard to get their legal status up to par with the current gambling industry environment that is present world wide. It may have taken some time for this to happen, and it may not yet be perfect, but it certainly is getting better and better, with the changes clearly resonating the nation’s interest in establishing itself as a significant presence in the global gambling market. This page will take a look at relevant gambling laws broken down by betting venue.
Casino Gambling Laws in Ireland
Before 1956, there was not much regulatory oversight concerning most forms of gambling in Ireland. Casino gambling was finally addressed through the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956. The law prohibits commercial casinos from operating in Ireland. A loophole in the law has driven innovative business owners to establish members only gambling clubs, which are not prohibited in Ireland. These clubs are essentially mini-casinos that provide various casino games, including slots, video poker, poker games and blackjack, among other games. There are approximately 14 of these destinations in Ireland at the time of this writing, and they require a membership in order to participate. Most of them are known as clubs, but a few are actually called casinos. Playing casino games for real money at these clubs does not violate the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956.
An effort was recently made to legalize casino gambling in Ireland and provide a regulatory infrastructure for playing casino games for real money on a large scale. The Gambling Control Bill of 2013, authored by Alan Shatter, has not yet been passed by Parliament. If passed, the bill will allow up to 40 legal land based casinos with up to 15 tables each. The bill also included provisions for regulating and expanding the casino, poker and bingo industry both online and offline. There is no estimate of when the passage of this bill may take place.
Online Casino Gambling Laws in Ireland
Online casino gambling is also legal in Ireland. Ireland’s gambling laws have specifically made it legal for citizens to engage in licensed and regulated offshore gambling as well as licensed domestic online gambling. Online casino gambling really emerged in 2001, but it wasn’t until 2003 that Ireland really embraced the concept more fully and began integrating locally licensed interactive betting into their gambling market. Currently both locally licensed and licensed offshore online casino gambling is legal for Irish citizens to enjoy. You can visit our page covering Ireland online casinos to learn more about the leading online casino destinations that welcome Irish players.
Poker Laws In Ireland
Live poker is legally available through several of the various gambling clubs located in Ireland. Since most forms of gambling are prohibited through the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956, including commercial casinos and poker rooms, punters are limited to one of the 14 gambling clubs located in Ireland if they are seeking live poker action. These destinations offer live poker games, just not on a very large scale in most cases. Due to the limits of land based poker in Ireland, many players have elected to engage in the further reaching legal online poker options afforded to Irish players.
The Irish Open Poker Tournament is Europe’s largest poker tournament, and the second longest running No Limit Texas Holdem tournament in the world. This is a strong indication of the following poker holds in the gambling industry in Ireland. Poker is undeniably a significant presence in the fabric of Irish gambling entertainment.
Laws About Playing Online Poker In Ireland
Like the casino niche, poker is legally available online through both domestically licensed and offshore licensed online poker rooms. You will find a listing of the online poker sites that our analysts have vetted and approved as premium, Irish online poker rooms. Each of them is legally licensed and regulated through either the Republic of Ireland or a respected governing jurisdiction located offshore.
Sports Betting Laws in Ireland
Bookmaking and pari-mutuel wagering have the longest standing history in Ireland. This being the case, the nation’s earliest gambling laws were focused on these venues. The Betting Act of 1931 regulated all sports betting activities until 2015. Bookmaking has been and continues to be the most popular form of gambling among Irish citizens. This 1931 law has finally been updated with recent legislation that is more relevant to modern bookmaking entertainment, known as the Betting (Amendment) Act of 2015. This Act was signed into law in 2015, and was enacted to establish a means for offshore sportsbooks and betting exchanges to become integrated into Irish licensing policies and taxation requirements. The law effectively alters standard bookmaking licensing to also include limited remote betting with revenue restrictions. This bill had made it illegal for online betting businesses to offer their services to Irish citizens without first acquiring a remote bookmaker or betting intermediary license. Specific licensing requirements and procedures are established in the Betting (Amendment) Act 2015.
Learn more in our Ireland sports betting section.
Pari-Mutuel Wagering Laws
Pari-mutuel wagering has long been a part of Ireland’s gambling culture, well before regulated gambling took shape in the nation. The most current legislation related to racing is the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001. This law created Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) to oversee the administration, development and regulation of the industry. The law also dissolved the Irish Horse Racing Authority, while effectively amending and extending the Horseracing Industry Act of 1994, the Greyhound Industry Act of 1958 and the Betting Act of 1931. Irish citizens can bet on horse races both online and offline from domestically licensed racetracks and bookmakers as well as online at legally licensed offshore sportsbooks.
Bingo Laws And Regulations In Ireland
The Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956 prohibits commercial bingo halls and bingo games for real money outside of licensed charitable gambling events. That being said, bingo proprietors simply use the same loophole as do the casino and poker gambling venues, and have proceeded to establish multiple bingo gambling clubs. These clubs offer a bingo hall environment and the opportunity to play bingo for real money.
As an alternative, there are a number of legally sanctioned, high quality online bingo opportunities available to Irish punters offered through both domestically based and international bingo sites. The bingo sites you see mentioned in our guide to understanding Legal Bingo Gambling Options in Ireland will provide you with a refined listing of the industry’s leading online bingo sites that are legally licensed and regulated, and that accept players from Ireland.
Lottery Laws In IE
The nation’s lottery industry was created through the National Lottery Act of 1986, and was established for the purpose of raising funds for good causes. Operations for the National Lottery began in 1987 with scratchcard games, followed by the Lotto game in 1988. You can play three types of drawing games in Ireland, including Lotto, EuroMillions and Daily Million. The National Lottery also funds televised bingo and games shows, sells scratchcards and operates Millionaire Raffles.
Fast forward to today’s technological age and we see Ireland’s legal lottery industry enact the National Lottery Act of 2013. This law was established to facilitate the sale of the National Lottery License to a third party. This was driven by financial hardships experienced by the Republic of Ireland, and provided swift financial relief for them. In addition, the law eliminated restrictions on interactive gambling in order to foster the online sale of lottery tickets. A portion of the sale from the national lottery license was used to assist in the building of a national children’s hospital.
Recent Gambling Legislation In Ireland
The gambling markets in Ireland and around the world are consistently evolving, particularly with the integration of online betting into the gambling entertainment industry. Here we will take a look at recent or pending legislation that is becoming a part of the regulatory framework of Irish gambling laws.
Courts & Civil Liabilities (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2017
The Irish Cabinet recently approved new legislation that would amend a few things with the current gambling law. The Courts and Civil Liabilities (Miscellaneous Provisions) bill is modernizing the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956. The bill raises the legal gambling age from 16 to 18. The current legislation permits 16-year-olds to enter establishments like carnivals and amusement halls with slot machines, funfairs or sports betting events. The new bill also raises the stakes and prize pot limits of local lotteries. The standing legislation requires lotteries of up to €5,000 to obtain a permit from a Garda superintendent and lotteries with prizes up to €30,000 to get a license from the District Court. As things stand now, Parliament is aiming to have this legislation voted on and approved by the end of the year.
Ireland is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and tourists flock to the big island to see the historical sites and indulge in the Irish culture for entertainment and vacationing purposes. Ireland is the second most populated island in Europe after Great Britain. The Island is divided into two countries: The Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is still a part of the United Kingdom, while the Republic of Ireland is a free nation under its own rule. Since gambling laws are quite different around the world, this page is focused on the Republic of Ireland and the gambling laws they have enacted since gaining their independence.
Before engaging in any type of gambling entertainment in Ireland, it is important to understand the laws and how their legal system works. Before 1922, illegal gambling activities ran rampant across Ireland since the Brit’s had no viable way of policing the matter. Today, Irish gambling laws date back to 1926, a few years after the country was awarded its independence from Britain. Over the years many laws have changed, and now new laws have been enacted. We created this page to serve as a guide to our readers to better understand Ireland’s gambling laws and how the industry is currently regulated.
Is Gambling Legal In Ireland?
Yes, most forms of gambling are now legal in Ireland. Casinos have been considered illegal since the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956 but because of a legal loophole, Irish casinos could operate if they were membership based. While this greatly affected the size of the casinos, today there are multiple casinos spread throughout Ireland. Most of the casino action lies in the capital city of Dublin, where you will find the heaviest concentration of people and casinos. Other areas like Cork and Limerick are likely to house 1 or maybe 2 casinos. It wasn’t until 2013 when the Irish Control Bill was passed that casinos became legal without membership. The Irish Control Bill has yet to be enacted but it passed the house and lawmakers are currently perfecting the regulation system and the bill is expected to be enacted in 2018.
Forms Of Legal Gambling In Ireland
In Ireland, there are several forms of legal gambling operations that residents can play in casino clubs, the racetracks and bet shops. The following forms are legal to Irish residents.
- Casinos – While still in a legal limbo, casinos can operate as private membership clubs until the Irish Control Bill is enacted.
- Poker – Poker is one of the most popular games in Ireland and is often played at the casinos or membership clubs. There are several annual poker tournaments, the tournaments are usually played in hotels to accommodate the huge number of people who participate in the games.
- Lottery – Legal since the National Lottery Act of 1986. Today there are three games that the National Lottery operate; Lotto, EuroMillions, and Daily Million.
- Sports Betting – Domestic sports betting runs rampant in Ireland. Paddy Power has over 200 bet shops throughout Ireland and others such as Boylesports also has over 200 physical locations in Ireland alone.
- Horse Racing – Horse racing is one of the oldest forms of legal gambling in Ireland. There are currently over 26 racetracks in Ireland and residents are allowed to wager at the tracks, online or over the phone.
Forms Of Legal Online Gambling In Ireland
Yes, the Betting Act of 2015 made online gambling legal in Ireland when a proper license is acquired. Regardless of where entities are located or if they are operating online or not, conducting business in Ireland requires an Irish license and taxation. There are 3 licenses offered by the Irish government; a license for retail bookmakers, an operator’s license for remote betting offered to Irish players and a license for operators who facilitate Irish customers placing bets. Since the Betting Act of 2015 was enacted, residents are legally allowed to participate in the following forms of online wagering.
- online casinos
- online sports betting
- online racebooks
- online poker
- online lotteries
Important Ireland National Gambling Laws
- Gambling Control Bill (2013) – This bill revokes the Gaming and Lottery Act 1956 and establishes a new framework for licensing and regulating gaming operations in Ireland. The bill has been approved but has not enacted yet. It is expected to go into effect sometime in 2018. Once enacted it will appeal all existing gaming & betting legislation.
- Gaming & Lotteries Act, 1956 – States regulation of casino and lotteries (excludes National Lottery) and deems most forms of public gambling illegal.
- Betting Acts 1931-2015 – Provides the current licensing scheme for bookmakers, online and offline. The 2015 amendment made online gambling legal with the taxation of any entity that offers services to Ireland.
- National Lottery Act 2013 – Provides regulation for the National Lottery, signed into law on May 14, 2013.
- Finance Act 1975 – (Section 43) – Repealed the prohibition of gaming machines.
- Finance Act 1992 – (Section 120-129) – Amendment to the Finance Act of 1975 and regulates the operation of an amusement machine.
- Totalisator Act 1929 – Regulates the operation of tote or pari-mutuel betting. Only 2 licenses ever issued (Horse racing Ireland, Bord nag Con).
Who Regulates Gambling In Ireland?
As it stands now the following agencies regulate all gambling operations in Ireland. When the Gambling Control Bill has finally enacted the framework for regulation will change.
- Irish Tax Authority (Revenue Commissioner) – Collects betting taxes, grants licenses for bookmakers, totalizator betting, and remote betting intermediaries. Certificates of personal fitness must first be obtained. Issues licenses for low-stakes gaming machines.
- Irish Police Force – Issues a certificate of personal fitness and can issue licenses for low-stakes gaming machines.
- Local District Court – Issues licenses for low-stakes gaming machines.
- Office of the regulator of the National Lottery – Regulates the national lottery.
Legal Minimum Gambling Age
Ireland Gambling Control Bill 2020
18, is the legal gambling age in Ireland. While there is at least 1 membership casino that requires a minimum age of 21, the national age is 18. Online wagering sites will usually accept Irish residents over the age of 18.
Ireland Gambling Control Bill Passed
Illegal Gambling Operations In Ireland
Illegal gambling operations have taken place in Ireland since gambling was first regulated under English rule in the 17th century. While the English could not police the illegal activities very well it was usually left up to the landlords who were more concerned with making money than condoning the illegal activities. Illegal gambling was so rampant that when Ireland got their independence in 1922 they immediately wrote legislature in the form of the 1926 Betting Act. The 1926 Betting act is now known as the first government regulation of gambling in the countries history. Horse betting had been legal for many years but after the legislation was passed bookies had to obtain a license before they were legally able to accept horse track bets.
Do I Need To Pay Taxes On My Online Winnings?
For the most part, most winnings from casinos, lotteries, and sports betting operations are not subject to Ireland’s capital tax for recreational gambling, but if the Irish government deems someone as a trader then their income can be taxed.
Any Legal Gambling Reforms Planned For The Near Future?
Yes, the Gambling Control Bill was passed in 2013 but still has not enacted. Residents are expecting the Bill to go into effect sometime in 2018. The Gambling Control Bill once enacted will change regulation and the licensing scheme for casinos and most forms of other gambling in Ireland.