Gambling advertising in Ireland is set to be banned as James Brown, the Ministry of State for Justice, plans to present new legislation that will change the way this industry is regulated in the country. Browne stated that the regulator will be put into effect by the end of 2021.
New Regulations Coming, but Not Without Opposition
The new regulations are designed to provide better advertising guidance, but they are facing some critics, especially from Mark Wall, the Labor Senator. He has stated that the country cannot wait that long to regulate the gambling industry as this issue needs to be resolved right away. Furthermore, Wall has said that this is a massive problem due to the fact that Ireland’s youth is exposed to these commercials and may be negatively impacted by them.
There’s no denying the fact that there are a lot of eyes on this new regulator, but Brown assures everyone that the regulators will have extensive legislation. The main focus will be on public health and that will be the starting point in every decision that the regulators will make.
The President’s Take on The Situation
The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, stated that he likes the fact that gambling advertising has been taken towards the direction of public health. He visited the opening ceremony of Carraig Eden, a gambling rehabilitation center located in Wicklow. He explained he is well-aware of the situation as he spent the past period meeting with a lot of people that have managed to overcome various types of addictions, gambling included. After that, the President concluded that the warnings that tell people that they should gamble responsibly are not enough and do not describe the possible danger that people are facing with these ads.
Regulations Are Not Something New
What’s interesting about this whole situation is the fact that this legislation does not mark the first time in which Ireland’s ministers are presenting a bill to combat gambling advertising in order to prevent possible gambling addictions. Eight years ago, a similar bill was introduced, but it never passed.
With the new legislation and the new regulators, the minister is convinced that this problem will be put to rest and that Ireland’s youth will not be exposed to these activities. After all, regulations like these are necessary for Ireland due to the fact that this country is labeled as one of the biggest spenders globally.
Wall has indicated that the total amount that is spent on gambling in Ireland per year is more than $10 billion. Mathematically, that makes Ireland the seventh-largest spender in this industry.