How Irish gambling changes will affect you in 2020

You might not have thought of it, but along with the fun and games that come with the online casino world, just as much regulation has to be done. As a player, we know this is far from exciting but regardless, it is something you have to know somewhat about if you play. 

The laws are made to protect you when you play. Casinos want to attract as many players as possible and make sure that you stay and play with them regularly. But for some people playing comes with a lack of self-control and can thus cause problems. 

As online casino games become more popular, the law is trying to keep up to make sure that you are in the best possible position. Ireland's gambling laws are currently outdated, so there is a need to have a look at them. In this article, we will look at a few anticipated reforms for the year 2020. 

A new Irish gambling authority

Already back in March 2019, it was announced that two significant policy announcements had come to life. For the first one, the government announced that they would delegate a series of amendments to the G&L Acts so that the legislation would be more modernised. 

The amendments proposed standardisation of the legal gambling age being 18+ along with more transparency around lotteries and their application procedures. The stake and prize limit for online gaming machines, such as slots, will be increased a great deal. 

With these proposals, a new gambling authority has also been proposed. Having an institution specifically working with this area will allow much more attention to online gambling regulations. The authority will be regulating the industry generally but will especially be focussing on implementing laws around player protection, protection of vulnerable people, exclusions mechanisms, advertising and staff training among others. 

Lastly, the proposal includes forming a fund paid by the industry, where the money is spent on researching gambling addiction. The new authority will be up and running next year in late 2020. 

This means that as a player you will have more rights and be better protected, should you have any negative experiences. It also means that those online casinos granted licenses to operate in Ireland have to live up to a set of standards. All this is good news for you!