Invitation for submissions announced by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Although the stop-start nature of efforts to reform of Irish gambling laws have been a source of frustration for operators in the industry for several years, interested parties can now have their say in shaping the legal and organisational framework for the future regulation of gambling in Ireland.

Recently, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, published a formal notice in Ireland's national newspapers inviting submissions in relation to the range of subjects which should be considered as part of the "major review of gambling" announced on 1 May 2009.

The review, which is being conducted by the Casino Gaming Control Section (the CGCS), will follow a two-stage process. Firstly, the CGSC will formulate a series of policy objectives which will underpin the new legislation. Following approval of these objectives by Government, the CGSC will prepare draft legislation for review and approval by the Oireachtas. Completion of the first stage is expected by the end of this year.

The shape of Ireland's new gambling architecture will be of critical importance both to operators looking to set up their business operations here and existing Irish players in the sector. Significant technological changes over the past number of years will make the task of legislating in this area a complex one. This is particularly the case in relation to remote gaming and its intersection with land based casinos. Contributions from industry operators will give the CGCS a better sense of what works in practice and assist it in formulating a practical and effective legal and organisational framework.

The closing date for submissions is 30 September 2009.