James Browne, the Irish minister tasked with revamping the industry, says gambling harm must be addressed. In an interview with The Irish Sun, Browne slammed the scaremongering accusations that the new rules will land people in jail over betting tweets.

Thanks to his experience as a barrister Browne was tasked to regulate Ireland’s gambling industry by Tanaiste Micheal Martin himself. Many of Ireland’s gambling laws are almost a century old, sparking the need for urgent changes. However, Browne’s proposals have aggravated operators, sparking claims that the new regulations would devastate the horse racing industry.

In his interview with the Irish news outlet, Brown defended his vision for Ireland’s gambling sector, emphasizing the dangers of gambling harm. He said that he has personally known gambling addicts and believes that the Irish society doesn’t take the matter as seriously as it should. He reminded the public that the issue is very serious and that everyone is at risk.

Browne pointed out that, unlike other types of addiction, gambling addiction can be invisible to a person’s loved ones, which makes it very dangerous. He reiterated the importance of protecting local consumers in light of a recent study that showed there are approximately 130,000 problem players in the country.

Because of that, Browne and the Irish regulator seek to introduce new fines and possible jail sentences for operators and executives that violate Ireland’s safer gambling rules. In addition, the new regulations would ban betting ads from airing before 9 pm and will prohibit enticing offers such as free bets.

However, these measures do not sit well with the industry.

Browne Slammed the Scaremongering That Is Going on

In his interview with The Irish Sun, Browne said that the new measures are impeded by “extreme intensive lobbying.” Racing TV and At The Races, on the other hand, recently expressed their concerns, saying that the advertising ban may force them to exit the Irish market.

Racing TV, for example, said that the ban may cost it EUR 2 million. Browne, however, said that the broadcaster is yet to provide any evidence of that. He added:

Even if you accept the €2m — which is questionable — that’s a tiny fraction of a contract worth hundreds of millions of euros and a contract that was entered into in the face of Government policy.

James Browne

Browne added that the new policy will not change what types of betting are permitted or what events customers can wager on. As a result, broadcasting should not be as impacted as Racing TV claims, he concluded.

Browne also slammed recent claims that people could be jailed for social media posts about bets. He called this “scaremongering” and confirmed that people will not face charges for retweeting odds.

Finally, the Minister refuted the claims that the new public health measures would devastate the racing sector, saying that horse racing companies will likely just revert to sponsors that are not gambling companies.

Despite that, Browne conceded that the legislation would still need certain tweaks before it is ready to be signed into law. Browne confirmed that his team is working on amendments that address a problematic measure that would have introduced betting limits of EUR 10 for games with fixed odds, effectively hurting the poker sector.

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Another amazing piece of news resonated in the industry after it was announced that another ever-popular iGaming market wants to introduce new rules!

Namely, Finland’s Ministry of Finance has set its sights on reshaping the country’s gambling terrain. Their vision entails the liberalization and limitation of the Finnish gambling market, indicating a new era of chances for both players and operators. The launched timeline implies that this transformation is predicted to occur in 2026.

Legislative Evolution

The central goal of this step is mitigating the dangerous outcomes associated with gambling activities and optimizing the channeling rate of the gambling system. That is why Finland’s governance has undertaken a transformative journey.

The plan of legislation involves the division of the state-owned operator, Veikkaus, into distinct business parts. While one will possess its lottery game monopoly, another will enter the occupied arena of online sports betting and iGaming, where it will compete with other authorized operators.

This long-awaited shift comes as a battle against the black market that has flourished due to years of monopoly-driven gambling operations.

The Ministry of Finance commented on this move saying that the scheduled transformations contain diverse elements of the gambling ecosystem, including the licensing framework, permit fees, surcharges, tools for handling gambling routines, precluding of gambling-related damage, as well as the management and marketing of gambling activities.

A Collaborative Endeavor

To ensure the success of this enterprising task, a political steering group and an intersectoral working group have been called, featuring key ministries and authorities. The industry wants to manage the social importance of the licensing system, with special awareness of its influence on mitigating gambling-related harm.

Experts from various sectors will also be extensively consulted during the trial process.

The blueprint is set to culminate in the request of a government proposal to the Parliament during the Spring of 2025. The official launch of the licensed market is then anticipated to take place in early 2026. This coming changeover is poised to form a new gambling landscape in Finland, characterized by greater assortment and regulatory sophistication.

Velipekka Nummikoski, deputy CEO of Veikkaus expressed his opinion on this amazing move saying the following: ”It’s great that the project is progressing. This is the biggest gambling reform in the history of Finland, with an ambitious schedule. The government program has set clear starting points for the reform and it is good to proceed with them. Hopefully, a system will be created that effectively channels gambling into the licensed supply.”

Source: ”Finland’s Gambling Reforms Set For Implementation In 2026”. GamingInteligence. October 25, 2023.

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Spearheading the drive towards comprehensive gaming reforms, the panel tackled pressing issues, including the imminent cashless gaming trial and the roadmap for the industry’s transformation.

Panel’s Commitment to Cashless Gaming Framework Lauded by Minister

Minister for gaming and racing, David Harris, expressed his satisfaction with the Independent Panel’s commitment to meticulously craft the framework for the upcoming cashless gaming trial. The trial, which has garnered significant attention, aims to revolutionize the gaming landscape by introducing cashless transactions while ensuring robust data security and privacy safeguards.

Harris stated: “The Panel’s first priority is to confirm the design and regulatory settings for the expanded cashless gaming trial, to ensure it can start as soon as possible.” 

The ambitious endeavor involves selecting the ideal mix of venues encompassing hotels and clubs across both urban and rural domains.

The panel, led by former NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing Commissioner Michael Foggo, will also furnish the NSW Government with a comprehensive gaming reform implementation roadmap by November 2024. This roadmap encompasses various facets, including recommendations on the utilization of a $100 million harm minimization fund, the expansion of self-exclusion records, the facilitation of third-party exclusions, and the integration of facial recognition technology to support enhanced exclusion systems.

Independent Panel’s Scope Expands to ClubGRANTS and Regulatory Revamp

The reform agenda does not encompass only that. The Independent Panel’s purview extends to reviewing the ClubGRANTS Scheme, conducted in coordination with Liquor & Gaming NSW, The Cabinet Office, and NSW Treasury. Although undertaken separately, this evaluation aligns with the panel’s ongoing efforts to reshape the gaming landscape. Chairman Michael Foggo affirmed:

“The panel is set up so that a range key stakeholders and experts are represented including industry, gambling harm minimization experts, academic experts, law enforcement and cyber security. It also has the ability to seek input from other external experts in the field and government bodies such as the NSW Crime Commission, the NSW Information and Privacy Commission and AUSTRAC.” 

This transformative journey follows a series of pivotal reforms already set in motion by the NSW Government. Measures like the prohibition of external signage in gaming rooms, reductions in poker machine entitlement caps, and stringent cash input limits have aimed to curtail gambling harm and combat illicit activities.

Furthermore, the reforms will also include a national gambling regulator and a ban on all forms of gambling advertising, with an emphasis on strengthening consumer protection and reducing harm. The move towards stricter regulations is fueled by a desire to better safeguard consumers and curb the negative impacts of gambling.

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After much delay and anticipation, the White Paper of the Gambling Act review in the UK was published late last month. The White Paper proposes significant changes to the gambling market in the country, ensuring that its laws are fit for the digital age. Essentially, it calls to build upon the Gambling Act 2005 but seeks to ensure the protection of users and implement strategic guidelines and restrictions for online gambling operators.

Now, in light of the upcoming changes to the market in the UK, researchers suggest that other markets may be impacted as well. Professor Sally Gainsbury of the University of Sydney and director of the Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic explained that the whole world sees that the market in the UK will change.

Similar to the UK, Australia is also seeking to improve its regulations related to gambling. According to the professor, the changes in the UK can have an impact on the future of the gambling market in Australia. Gainsbury did not explain to what extent the changes can impact the Australian market, but further discussion on the topic is expected later this week. It is likely that Australia can implement similar changes to the ones proposed in the UK, yet, it all remains in the hands of lawmakers.

“There are a lot of people around the world watching what happens in the UK. Australian gambling regulation is currently being reviewed and the changes in the UK are likely to impact future Australian gambling reforms.“

Professor Sally Gainsbury

Discussions on the Topic Continue

Recently, Professor Gainsbury along with Assistant Professor Kahlil Philander from Washington State University discussed the topic in a webinar with Tim Miller, UK Gambling Commission’s executive director for research and policy, as well as its director, Ben Haden. At the time, Haden noted: “We are going through a testing phase to move to a new methodology for what we’ll call the Gambling Survey for Great Britain.” According to him, this data will help the country better understand consumer behavior and gambling harm.

Miller added that the White Paper suggests many changes to the regulated gambling market in the country. He explained that while the specific changes seek to match the market in the UK and consider the views of consumers and stakeholders, they may be applied to other jurisdictions as well.

Discussions on the topic are set to continue this Thursday. Gainsbury, Philander, as well as Miller and Haden, are set to speak once again on the topic this week. They will discuss different aspects of the proposed changes within the White Paper and how evidence can help in the process that seeks to overhaul the gambling market.

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Veikkaus, the state-owned gaming company, has welcomed the Finnish Ministry of the Interior’s recent study on the gambling monopoly system which advises against maintaining the current status quo.

In January, the ministry commissioned the study to examine the effectiveness of the Finland gambling market in channelling consumers towards Veikkaus and to recommend alternative models for the gambling system. 

The study indicated that the monopoly system weakens the “channelling abilities” and had pushed players towards seeking gambling services outside the regulated market. 

According to the report, “Approximately half of all gambling online goes to games outside the system. Playing outside the system also causes significant gambling disadvantages, the effective prevention of which is challenging when operating within the framework of the current system.”

In addition, as a result of the gaming activities outside of the state monopoly, the country’s gaming industry has an annual revenue shortfall of approximately EUR 500-550 million.

The report suggested two ways to reform Finland’s gaming market: reducing access to unlicensed gaming and introducing a licensing model. The report said that implementing a licence system could potentially result in a greater level of channelling in online gambling compared to the current state.

Welcoming the report, Veikkaus CEO Olli Sarekosk said, “The report is good and balanced. It is important that the amount of gaming margin outside the exclusive rights system is confirmed to be in the range of 500-550 million.

“If the system change is headed towards a licence system, from Veikkaus’ point of view, it is desirable that this change happens faster rather than slowly.”

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