Key Takeaways
- The implementation of the Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013 which will introduce online gambling licensing in Ireland is now “imminent” according to reports in the Irish press.
- The bill will not segregate Irish players from the dot-com market, and offshore operators will be able to apply for licenses.
- The new taxes are expected to raise €25 million a year in revenues. Betting exchanges will pay taxes of 15% of gross gaming revenues, but poker will be subject to a 1% tax on all cash game pots—a similar system to the 2% levied in France.
The implementation of the Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013 which will introduce online gambling licensing in Ireland is now “imminent,” according to reports in the Irish press.
The bill has been delayed since it was first proposed by Finance Minister Michael Noonan in his first Finance Act in 2011.
In January this year, Irish politicians complained about the slow pace of implementation of the bill and last week a report on problem gambling put further pressure on the government to introduce the new laws.
