Ireland and the UK have a lot of things in common, but they are still fairly different in many areas. As a couple of separate countries, it is natural to see them coming up with unique laws that closely regulate the market based on local circumstances. This is exactly the case with gambling regulations that feature their own unique distinctions. 

For instance, Ireland legalized online gambling in 2003 – that’s two years prior to its neighbor. It is also the reason why this country has such amazing online casinos, especially the top 20 sites rated by irishcasinosites.ie based on strict quality criteria. These casinos have by far the most advanced systems for rewarding players whilst continuously adding to the already impressive list of new games.

However, our primary goal here is to analyze the differences between Ireland and the UK in terms of their gambling laws. To do this properly, we divide this complex topic into multiple sections. Let’s take a look!

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Regulatory Authorities

There can be no effective market control without official regulators, so allow us to first introduce you to the national authorities in both countries.

In the UK, the national Gambling Commission is overseeing the entire market. This commission is in charge of nearly all types of gambling-related activities in the country. That means it’s the only authority that can issue licenses to gaming providers inside the country’s borders.

On the other hand, Ireland has its own Gambling Regulatory Authority with similar competencies. For instance, this regulator issues licenses while monitoring and taking enforcement measures against providers that do not oblige to their rules.

Licensing Requirements

No one in the UK can legally get to the casino or betting company opening date without fulfilling strict licensing conditions. The Gambling Commission issues three types of licenses:

·   Remote

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·   Non-remote

·   Ancillary

In some cases, a given provider will need more than one of these licenses in order to make a gambling firm that operates legally. The good thing is that everything takes place online since operators can apply for a permit via the Gambling Commission’s website.

The Gambling Regulatory Authority in Ireland has a slightly more complicated system, but it’s still fairly manageable. In this country, you are supposed to register your interest in creating a gambling firm, but we find the Regulator’s website to be somewhat user-unfriendly.

If you’re preparing to apply, arm yourself with patience as it will take a while for anyone to figure out the whole procedure. This has to do with the fact that Ireland is currently preparing a new Gambling Regulation Bill that ought to guide the process in a more optimized manner.

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Player Protections and Safeguards

In the UK, the Gambling Commission has some straightforward rules related to player safety, which is great because all parties involved can feel protected. For instance, there are mandatory self-exclusion schemes such as GamStop: These let players voluntarily ban themselves from all UK-licensed gambling sites for any chosen period.

For example, if you’re feeling vulnerable to gambling addiction, it just takes a couple of clicks to choose to opt out for any given period (six months, a year, etc.). In addition, every single provider must offer easy-to-access responsible gambling tools:

·   Deposit limits

·   Time-out features

Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for Ireland. This country has been a lot slower to introduce formalized self-exclusion systems across all platforms. Once again, this has to do with the fact that Ireland is in the process of making a brand new law that will set stricter measures for all things gambling.

Taxation and Winnings

This is one area where the two countries display the biggest discrepancies (at least from a provider’s perspective). Gamblers in the UK love this pastime activity because it is completely tax-free. Regardless of the type of win, they do not have to share any portion of their winnings with the taxman. What’s the trick? Well, the idea is to place the burden of taxation on the operators rather than the players – although this burden is not too massive.

On the other hand, Irish gambling operators do have to pay a fixed tax that currently sits at 2% of a given company’s turnover (or 25% of commission for betting exchanges). This is somewhat higher than in the UK. However, players in Ireland also don’t need to pay income taxes of any sort.

Advertising and Marketing Regulations

The situation is fairly similar in both countries when it comes to advertising regulations. For instance, the UK Gambling Commission checks whether gambling promotions are socially responsible. In a nutshell, ads are not allowed to target minors, and they are banned during TV programs that mainly appeal to children. Ireland still hasn’t achieved the same level of control marketing-wise, but it’s well on its way because the new law is going to address this issue as well.

Enforcement and Penalties for Non-compliance

Of course, there can be no regulation without enforcement. The Gambling Commission says it “takes firm action” against companies that do not follow the rules. However, the actual fines primarily depend on the type of non-compliance. 

Ireland introduces the so-called “administrative action” that can be one of these things:

·   A straight out financial fine

·   License withdrawal or suspension

·   An introduction of a special condition related to the gambling license

In each case, it is clear that both countries take compliance very seriously so as to avoid (or punish) any kind of misconduct.

Conclusion

Gambling is a super-sensitive business that requires firm regulatory frameworks. The UK already did its part regulations-wise, but Ireland too is on its way to better controlling the national market. Very soon, the two countries will have pretty much the same level of player protection mechanisms paired with clear inputs for gaming providers – a big benefit for all parties involved in this massive industry.