The investigation published today on the operation of parts of the gambling industry in the Irish market underlines the challenge facing the gambling regulator in a fast-changing industry. Long gone are the days when a trip to the bookies was the mainstay of the industry, but the development of online gambling has accelerated over the past couple of years – and with it the dangers to those who participate.
Today’s report, drawn from the work of Investigate Europe in partnership with the Irish Times and other media outlets, shows that the Irish authorities granted gambling licences to six companies involved in an international network of black-market gambling websites. Global betting giant Soft2Bet and its related entities received ¤600 million from dozens of offshore casinos that regulators in Europe had blacklisted or fined.
The licences were granted under the old regime and today’s report underlines the extent of the job being faced by the Gambling Regulation Authority of Ireland (GRAI). It has taken on the licensing of the sector this year, as well as being responsible for compliance and consumer protection. Regulation is being stepped up under 2024 legislation, prohibiting or controlling activities which companies use to lure in punters and establishing a self-exclusion register for people who want to opt out.
The results of the investigation underline the extent of the regulatory task. They show how unauthorised betting sites – operating through multiple companies – can deliberately target people with gambling addictions and ignore local gambling regulations.
RM Block
Recent figures show the volume of online betting has soared – and the full extent of this is not known, due to the operation of unregistered entities and peer to peer betting, where platforms allow punters to effectively bet with each other.
Betting may be harmless fun for some, but recent research has shown the extent of the damage which it can cause to the lives of punters and their families. Work by the Economic and Social Research Institute showed that one in ten online gamblers have four or more accounts. It also demonstrated that people who signed up for a specific interest, such as horse racing , would often be offered incentives to get involved in other areas, such as casino games, in an attempt to lure them to spend more on these potentially addictive activities. Under the new legislation many of these inducements will be banned, while the GRAI also has wide enforcement powers.
Like other areas of online activity, the nature of online gambling means regulation is far from straightforward. But the harm created by gambling means it is essential. Ireland has ground to make up in regulating the online betting boom but must apply the necessary resources and expertise to do so effectively.
