Ireland continues to tweak its upcoming gambling reforms, with industry insiders showing concern
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) draws, club lotteries and other fundraising must abide by the 9 PM watershed as the Irish Government’s gambling bill outlines. This is the latest group to succumb to increased restrictions as Ireland advances its gambling reforms.
The GAA’s management committee is aware of the ramifications of promoting such initiatives online before that time and not in the designated eight-and-a-half-hour overnight period. The bill says, “A person shall not knowingly advertise, or cause another person to advertise, a relevant gambling activity on television, radio or an on-demand audio-visual media service between the hours of 5.30 AM and 9.00 PM.”
This also means that “Win A House” or “Win A Car” drawings and competitions like “Last Man Standing” will have to abide by the restrictions that prohibit gambling advertising during hours when children are online.
Current GAA cash drawings are required to be licensed and covered by an annual certificate. However, a proposal that permission will not be needed for charitable causes where total winnings do not exceed €2,000 may overhaul the licensing.
The lottery can’t exceed €30,000 per week or €3,000 per game for a charitable lottery gambling license. For once-off activities, nothing above €360,000 will be permitted. No maximum entry fee is required for a regular lottery or one-off.
The GAA previously voted to ban gambling advertising on teams when 98% of Congress delegates backed the proposal in 2018. It seeks to prohibit sponsorship of events where most people are children and clubs or organizations where children are members.
The GAA rulebook declares, “a player, a team, a member of a team management or a match official involved in a game is strictly prohibited from betting on the outcome of any aspect of the Game concerned.” The penalty for such is regarded as misconduct that discredits the association.
Emma Rodriguez is the Proofreader at the Big Blind, with seven years of experience and five years in online gambling. She plays a crucial role in maintaining content quality by ensuring error-free, reader-friendly information about the gambling industry.
