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Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland
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Image: Minister James Browne TD with Anne Marie Caulfield, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Designate of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.
The Programme for Government gives a clear commitment to establish a gambling regulator focused on public safety and well-being, covering gambling online and in person, and the powers to regulate advertising, gambling websites and apps.
This commitment is reaffirmed in the Department of Justice’s Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 and in Justice Plan 2022, which sets out the activities and initiatives being delivered by the Department of Justice this year. The plan contained specific targets for the recruitment and appointment of a CEO Designate.
As of 8 September 2022, Ms. Anne Marie Caulfield has been appointed to the role of CEO Designate of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, and will be preparing for the establishment of the Authority.
A Programme Board has been established in the Department to ensure that the legislation and the operational preparations are progressed in parallel so that the Authority commences operations as soon as possible after enactment.
The General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill has been published and the Government has approved the Bill for priority drafting, which is underway. There is a pathway mapped for this legislation progressing which, with the cooperation of the Houses of the Oireachtas, will facilitate the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland being established and operational in 2023.
Further details on the role and work of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland can be found on their website www.grai.ie .
The Programme for Government commits to establishing ‘a gambling regulator focused on public safety and well-being, covering gambling online and in-person, and the powers to regulate advertising, gambling websites and apps’.
On 19 October 2021, the Government approved the publication of the General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill and for the legislation to proceed for drafting by the Office of the Attorney General.
The purpose of the legislation is to provide for an improved and modern approach to the licensing and regulation of gambling in Ireland today – one that reflects the reality of the various gambling activities available in the State and recognises the impact of technology on the conduct of such activities.
The legislation sets out the framework and legislative basis for the establishment of a new independent, statutory body – the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (“the Authority”) – and for a robust regulatory and licensing regime for the gambling sector. The General Scheme and related documents can be accessed at the links below:
- General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill ;
- Regulatory Impact Analysis – Gambling Regulation Bill ;
- Inter-Departmental Working Group on Future Licensing and Regulation of Gambling ;
- Final report on the establishment of a modern regulatory environment and authority for all gambling activities licensed in Ireland (Facilitated with the financial support of the European Commission Directorate General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM)).
The Joint Committee on Justice has published its Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Gambling Regulation Bill:
As part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, Oireachtas hearings took place 8 March and 22 March, 2022 and the transcript of both can be accessed below:
Both sessions are also recorded and available to play back on the Oireachtas website .
Information on external support services is included at the following link:
Measures of problem gambling, gambling behaviours and perceptions of gambling in Ireland
The main aim of the Problem Gambling ESRI Study on Problem Gambling, undertaken by the Economic and Social Research Institute, is to measure the prevalence of Problem Gambling in Ireland. Secondary aims of the research include providing measures of gambling activity and perceptions of gambling among the general population.
To meet the threshold for Problem Gambling, individuals must report multiple negative behaviours or experiences associated with their gambling (e.g., borrowing in order to fund their gambling). Based on the sample, this report estimates that 3.3% of the adult population are people with Problem Gambling (with a 95% confidence interval of 2.5–4.0%). This estimate is more than ten times higher than previous estimates of Problem Gambling in Ireland, when measured in person in 2019 as part of the National Drug and Alcohol Survey (NDAS) (0.3%). The report discusses multiple possible reasons for the difference, including increased anonymity associated with online surveys and sample selection issues.
The figure of 3.3% equates to 1 in 30 adults, or 130,000 people, with Problem Gambling in Ireland. In addition, the report records a further 7.1% (95% confidence interval: 6.0–8.2%) of the adult population who report multiple problematic behaviours and experiences but fall short of the threshold for Problem Gambling (i.e., they show moderate evidence of PG). This equates to 279,000 people with moderate evidence of PG. The report record another 15% (confidence interval: 13.4–16.5%) of adults (590,000) who report at least one negative experience or behaviour.
Problem Gambling: A Narrative Review of Important Policy-Relevant Issues
'Problem Gambling Literature Review' is the first in a series of studies that the ESRI has been commissioned to undertake over the coming months. This review was commissioned through the Department of Justice and the Implementation Team supporting the establishment of Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI).
Research is a vital element of policy development and, in particular, it helps to ensure that the measures introduced as a result will be appropriately targeted in terms of protecting children and individuals who are vulnerable to the harms associated with excessive gambling.
Education, awareness-raising and research with regard to gambling and, in particular with the associated risks, will be a key function of the GRAI when it is established.
Therefore, this is a significant milestone for the GRAI Implementation Team, as it continues the preparatory work, in tandem with the envisaged passage of the Gambling Regulation Bill 2022, to ensure that the GRAI will be in a position to commence its work once the legislation is commenced and the members of the Authority are appointed.
Problem Gambling: A Narrative Review of Important Policy-Relevant Issues
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