The Irish government is planning to regulate casinos for the first time according to a weekend report in the Irish Times. Minister Dermot Ahern is quoted as saying existing laws, which date back to 1956 and take no account of casinos or online gaming, were “past their sell-by date”.
The report says Ahern will publish the findings of the Casino Regulatory Committee (CRC) which was established by his predecessor to explore options for updating legislation.
Around 50 card clubs and casinos exist in Ireland using their private member status to circumvent the current law. Asked by the newspaper if closing the clubs was an option he said, “We are past the day when we can outlaw them. What we need to do is regulate them in a way that is fair”.
The paper claims the CRC report recommends legalizing medium-size casinos with minimum age limit for entry of 18 or 21 years as well as more research into the effects of gambling on the population and society.
