Flutter Entertainment has responded to the Irish "Gambling Regulation Act" that was finally passed this week.
The bill was first introduced in the Irish House of Representatives at the end of 2022 and has now passed both houses of the Irish Parliament, paving the way for the first major change in Irish gambling legislation since 1956.
The new act establishes the Irish Gambling Regulatory Authority (Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann) and introduces measures related to advertising, the black market, and inducements, while also setting up a social impact fund and establishing a national gambling exclusion register.
In the weeks and months leading up to this milestone event, industry insiders expressed concerns about parts of the bill, with the Irish Betting Association (IBA) discussing some "unintended consequences" of the draft bill with Gambling Insider as early as May.
The broader industry group also expressed concerns about areas such as betting and prize limits, advertising restrictions, combating the black market, and restrictions on inducements, with some pointing out the impact these issues have had on other countries and how they might affect Ireland.
In response to the passage of the bill, a spokesperson for Flutter UKI said: "As a long-time advocate of regulation in Ireland, we welcome the new 'Gambling Regulation Act', but remain concerned about some unintended consequences.
"While we support most of the content of the new legislation, we believe the way it is formulated could impact the future of Irish horse racing and lead to more participants falling into an unlicensed, unregulated black market.
"However, we look forward to working closely with the newly established Irish Gambling Regulatory Authority to help raise standards across the industry."
