Ireland has a very long tradition in gambling regulations and besides traditional land-based casinos, online casinos have been part of the legislation for a long time as well.
Formally, it became legal in 2001, while the first specific legal acts on this matter were brought already in 2003. These days, online gambling is regulated pretty much entirely and includes a typical licensing method. A good thing to know is that both domestic and abroad websites can offer their services in Ireland, as long as they have the license.
Problem Gambling Issue
With such a long tradition, it’s no wonder that online gambling has become widely popular in Ireland, among various age and social groups. Besides benefits, this also brings a lot of challenges, especially when it comes to more vulnerable groups. Of course, we are talking about gambling addiction and problem gambling in general. Ireland’s government has always been taking this aspect of gambling seriously, so it’s no wonder that there is a new set of measures that will be in effect this spring. In order to control and prevent problem gambling, the government has come up with a new set of measures, which should help in this fight.Â
Ban on Credit Cards
There are several new measures and the most interesting one, at least to us, is the ban on credit cards. Online casinos won’t be allowed to accept credit cards in Ireland anymore and the implementation of this measure is expected in April. Too see which payment methods you can currently pay with in Ireland at Foxbonus.com.Â
This means that customers who use credit cards as their payment method, and the number of them isn’t small, will have a few more weeks to find the alternative. A good thing to know is that online casinos in Ireland are mostly pretty generous when it comes to the offer of payment methods, which includes numerous e-wallets, as well as several more alternatives.
New Commitment for Operators
Online casinos registered in Ireland will get a new commitment in this fight against gambling addiction. Starting from this spring, every operator will have to redirect 1% of its net gaming revenue to support the research, education and treatment of problem gambling. Based on the last-years revenue, that would around €1.25 million this year, while the number will certainly grow in the future.
No TV Advertising Before 9 P.M.
Another interesting measure, which will start from May 1st will be the ban on TV advertising before 9 P.M. This means removals of advertising on sports events like football, rugby, golf, tennis, boxing, basketball, athletics, American football, darts, motorsports etc. The restriction will run from 5 minutes before until 5 minutes after the event. Interestingly, horse and greyhound racings are excluded from this restriction.
Conclusion
While these measures may seem too harsh to someone, and may also seem not particularly convenience-friendly, the fact is that gambling addiction is all around us and that these measures are definitely needed, no matter how strict they are. It’s important to keep in mind that the development of online casinos is going at rapid speed and that it’s not always easy to deal with challenges and come up with regulations that won’t affect the convenience of players. Still, we truly believe that these measures will help in the fight against problem gambling.
