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Gambling Legislation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 December 2018

Tuesday, 4 December 2018

Questions (260)

Jack Chambers

Question:

260. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the Gambling Control Bill 2018 review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50882/18]

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Written answers

I note this question relates to the current review of the General Scheme of the Gambling Control Bill 2013. I am happy to update the Deputy on developments in this regard.

The Deputy will be aware that the Government granted permission to review the 2013 General Scheme by way of Decision of 10 January 2018.

To advance this review, I chaired an Inter-Departmental Working Group on Gambling, comprising all stakeholder Departments and the Office of the Attorney General. The Group met on 5 occasions between February and June of this year and reviewed all of the provisions of the 2013 Scheme.

The Group in its deliberations had particular regard to the Government's preference for the establishment of an independent regulatory authority as set out in its Decision of 10 January 2018. The Group is currently finalising its Report, which I hope to bring to Government for consideration as soon as possible.

The Deputy may also wish to note that the Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. This is an interim reform measure, which I hope will be published before the end of the current Oireachtas session or early in the next Session. The amendments proposed under this Bill address certain deficiencies with regard to the conduct of activities regulated under the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, and provide for the modernisation of that Act by way of, among other matters, updating stake and prize limits and standardising the minimum gambling age at 18.

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