The lack of the planned cross-party gambling committee, following disagreement over the terms by the government and opposition, will not stop Ireland regulating and licensing casinos. Dermot Ahern, Minister for Justice, Equality & Law Reform, will establish a casino gaming control body within his department to oversee casino operation on an interim basis, according to an article in the Irish Times, while creating a revised gambling code.

The new code will seek to keep gambling in Ireland fair and crime free as well as offering protection to the young and the vulnerable. The moves to regulate gambling by the Irish government are in part prompted by EU money laundering directives and the casinos, run as private members’ clubs, will have to comply with anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering laws.

Casino games are offered by around 50 private members’ clubs even though casinos are presently illegal in Ireland. Legislation to control the activity is expected to be included in the anti-money laundering bill. The government will study the recent UK Gambling Act 2005 in its bid to modernise the country’s gambling laws and will also examine possible regulation of online gambling.
(E-03.02.09)

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