Ireland approves gambling bill introducing ad restrictions, self-exclusion and credit card ban

New laws are to be imposed on casino and sports betting sites in Ireland, restricting gambling advertising on social media. There will also be a total ban on betting advertising before the 9pm watershed. The new laws also see the introduction of a blanket credit card ban for all gambling services, following the lead of the rest of the UK. 

In addition, no sporting club with members under the age of 18 will be able to allow any kind of sponsored gambling. There are additional prohibitions on children being allowed in any premises where there is access to either remote or online gambling. Children must also not be attached to advertisements.

Finally, the bill also provides a National Gambling Exclusion Register. At the moment, most betting sites allow you to self exclude from their services. However, a person with a problem gambling could simply sign up to another betting site. With this new register, a person could add their details once and then be excluded from all gambling sites in Ireland, both physically and online. All legal options must register with this authority.

These tough changes to the rules for betting sites in Ireland are created with the aim of protecting both children and vulnerable people. Indeed, there are criminal sanctions for any gambling company which is deemed to have failed either of these groups, with terms of imprisonment being up to eight years for any company which fails to follow these new provisions.Alongside this, the legislation could instruct an internet service provider to block a site which fails to follow this legislation.

Not only are the rules tough, but with the possibility of making a business unavailable in Ireland and imposing criminal proceedings, it’s clear the Irish government is very serious about enforcing these rules.

How these legal changes took shape and what it means for you

The far reaching changes seen here were taken to Cabinet by Minister Justice Helen McEntee with the backing of James Browne. This marks the most impactful change in legislation he has brought since he was given the position of Minister of State for Law Reform back in 2020.

It’s a reformation of legislation which was drafted back in 1956 and is now considered deeply outdated. Considering the enormous changes made in the world of gambling – especially with regards to online gaming – we don’t think many could argue with the need for legislative modernisation, whatever their opinion on this particular change in the law.

Nevertheless, these changes to the law do not hinder the fact that Ireland remains an excellent place to bet online. It’s both safe and legal, and many of the world’s greatest operators are open to the people of Ireland. Although there are strict rules on how promotions are presented, they remain available to enhance your betting experience.

The impact of these legislative changes is largely targeted to advertisements, alongside the banning of credit cards and enhancing how robust self exclusion tools are. Rest assured that you can still bet on your favourite sports, with advantages comparable to the rest of Europe. We don’t know what the future of gambling in Ireland looks like, but there still remains every reason to stay optimistic.