In the midst of significant changes on the regulatory process in Ireland, the government has decided to take a bold step forward by raising the gamblers minimum age requirements. As of late, minors were able to visit land based and online gaming vendors provided that they were at least 16 years of age. If the new Bill is accepted, punters will have to be 18years old before being able to play on either sportsbooks, casinos, lotteries or scratch cards.
The Bill has been delayed on several occasions, however, lawmakers remain confident they will manage to raise the age requirements before too long. As Taoiseach Leo Varadkar commented “This is an important issue. It is also important the Government puts in place a proper regulatory structure around gambling, both to regulate an industry from which many people get much pleasure but also one which gives rise to people becoming addicted, impoverished and unwell as a consequence. Legislation in this area is long overdue.”