Lottoland, a lottery betting firm, laments the disregard by the Government Minister driving the development of new gambling legislation. Minister of State at the Department of Justice, James Browne, has allegedly ignored the company’s appeal for a discussion about their anxieties concerning the forthcoming Gambling Regulation Bill, 2022, which posed several concerns for the firm. Mike Kirwan, vice-president for UK and Ireland in the company, is troubled that despite extending dialogues to other entities in their sector, Mr Browne has denied engagement with Lottoland.
The company, which enables its clientele to bet on a variety of national lottery outcomes rather than engage in the draws, expresses nervousness about the potential impacts on its business. Certain components of the Bill could limit the amounts customers are able to risk and possibly earn. The legislation serves to limit gains from “relevant games” to €3,000 and restrict payouts from lotteries, but not the National Lottery, to amounts ranging from €3,000 to €360,000, based on their intent and regularity.
Mr Kirwan voiced deep unease at the lack of communication between businesses making continual efforts to comply with the law and the law creators themselves. Prior to Lottoland’s voiced concerns, both the horse-racing sector and niche broadcasters had issued warnings that a blanket early-evening advertising ban could adversely affect the sport, in addition to bookmakers noting problems with the imposed limitations on promotions.
Mr Browne received a letter from Mr Kirwan in early March seeking explanation of points mentioned in a previous radio discussion and requesting his time. The Minister previously informed on an edition of RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime that the cap on stake and winnings defined in the 1956 Gaming and Lotteries Act were already applicable to Lottoland. Mr Kirwan, however, refutes this, stating that Lottoland operates as a licensed bookmaker, and as such, is governed not by lotteries regulation, but by the Betting Act, 1931, which was updated in 2015 to encompass online operators. This means that there are no legal regulations on the bets and profits of its Irish clients.
Despite this, Lottoland is apprehensive that imprecise definitions of the terms “bet” and “game” in the 2022 Bill could impose those limitations on the company, as well as others in the same industry.
In the rephrased text, Mr. Kirwan appreciates the Minister’s perception that the win and stake limits shouldn’t apply to betting, as opposed to lotteries, but due to the ambiguity in the definitions, this cannot be completely excluded. Mr. Kirwan also points out that his company, Lottoland, had previously attempted to address this issue with the Minister. The clarification of these complex terms is considered crucial to ensure both adherence to the guidelines and certainty for established operators in the Republic, and also to eliminate any future need for legal clarification, Mr Kirwan’s correspondence contends.
According to Mr. Kirwan, the Minister and his department have not discussed any of Lottoland’s concerns with the company. He expressed concerns about the potential diverse interpretations of the Bill’s definitions including ‘bet’ and ‘betting’, which makes the industry uncertain about how the Bill’s provisions would be applied. Mr. Kirwan emphasised the importance of these interpretations in ensuring the law is complied with. The Justice Department, however, has yet to respond to a request for comment.