In the mid-1986, the Irish parliament approved the National Lottery Act, allowing the state to sell lottery tickets. In the 1990s, a digital revolution began, shaping the modern online gambling that has grown so popular. Traditional casinos started to become digitized and slowly but swiftly crept into the online world. In 2015, the government amended the Betting Act, officially making online gambling legal in the country. Currently, there are hundreds of online casinos offering thousands of games in the country. The traditional casinos also still exist and are a significant tourist attraction in Ireland.
Esports legislation in Ireland
Under Irish Law, eSports are typically considered competitions. There are no particular laws that regulate e-sport competitions. However, if operated from the country, an e-sport competition is subjected to data protection and consumer protection laws. In some instances, the laws can be enforced against some entities operating from abroad, in which Irish citizens participate.
The Irish law requires no specific certifications for e-sport tournaments. The only condition is that the computer games must be certified for public use. There are also no specified requirements applicable regarding eSports tournaments sponsorship agreements. Regarding selecting winners in an e-sport event, the general contract and consumer protection laws must apply.
Betting acts and policies in Ireland
There are five main different Acts regulating gambling in Ireland. Below is a highlight of each of them.
Betting Acts 1931 to 2015
The Betting Act was first passed in 1931 to address the country's gambling problems at the time. It provided for the control and regulation of the people engaged in bookmaking. The Act introduced licensing of bookmakers, which was to be issued by the government.
The 1931 Betting Act did not address the online betting industry, which exploded in the 2000s. Consequently, the Irish government amended it in March 2015. The Betting (Amendment) Act 2015 was signed into law by Michael Higgins, the Irish president. With the Act's core being licensing, the 2015 Act required all remote betting operators and bookmakers that provided their services in Ireland to have a license issued by the Irish government.
Totalisator Act 1929
The Totalisator Act 1929 was designed to make provision for the control and regulation of totalisators. It also controls and regulates the setting up and working of totalisators by the Revenue Commissioners and other relevant matters.
Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956 to 2019
The main purposes of the Acts were to modernize and streamline the application processes for lottery and gaming permits and licenses for local lottery and gaming activities. It also protected underage people from gambling by standardizing the minimum gambling age at 18 years. Other key purposes of the Acts were to increase the amounts of lottery proceeds that go into charitable causes, update the prize and stake limits for gaming machines, and better promote lotteries and gaming to enhance consumer protection.
This Act underwent amendments in 2019, which came into effect in December 2020. The amendments improved on the previous legislation but have widely been described as interim measures before a more significant overhaul of the gambling legislation.
National Lottery Act 2013
The National Lottery Act 2013 allows for the legislative framework needed to hold a national lottery on behalf of the Public Expenditure and Reform Minister. The Act was signed into law to replace the National Lottery Act 1986. It also established the new Regulator of the National Lottery Office.
Finance Act 1975 (As Amended)
This Act helps with the regulation and imposing of certain custom duties and Inland Revenue, such as excise duty, to amend the laws relating to Inland Revenue and customs, and make other additional provisions related to finance. It was signed on the 14th of May 1975. It is applied to both local and offshore casinos.
Gambling regulatory authorities in Ireland
Currently, there are five different government bodies responsible for the supervision of gambling in Ireland. The five bodies are the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery, the Department of Justice and Equality, Revenue Commissioners, the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland, and the district courts.
