Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 March 2019
230. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the plans of the Revenue Commissioners to tackle the issue of lost revenue due to the operation of illegal gambling machines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13821/19]
View answerI am advised by Revenue that their current compliance campaign in this sector, which commenced in 2017, had at end February 2019 yielded €2.3 million in additional tax and penalties. I am also advised that a total of 293 gaming machines have been seized by Revenue for licensing non-compliance.
The Deputy may also wish to note that the Government has recently approved the proposals contained in the report of the Inter – Departmental Working Group on Future Licensing and Regulation of Gambling. The recommendations of the report include the establishment of a new Gambling Regulatory Authority and assigning responsibility to the authority for developing appropriate permit and licence fees and duties to be payable by licensed gambling operators. The report also notes that the permit and licence fees to be charged should ultimately have regard to the intention for future self – financing of the authority.
