.svg)
Ireland's new licensing regime will commence on a phased basis, according to the new gambling regulator, but there is still no fixed timeline for when new licence applications will open.
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) said it has been “working closely with stakeholders, including current licensing bodies, to facilitate the necessary transition arrangements required for the GRAI to assume responsibility for licensing, including the development of secondary legislation to support the transition”.
These arrangements are “crucial to the development of a timeline for licence applications”, a spokesperson for the GRAI told Vixio GamblingCompliance.
The GRAI has invited operators interested in applying for a licence in Ireland to register their interest by completing an online form.
Ireland’s President signed the Gambling Regulation Bill into law on October 23.
In preparation for this, the GRAI has been undertaking work to establish many of its functions.
“We are working on a timeframe for the commencement of regulatory functions, which will be informed by the appointment of the seven-person authority by the minister, following a Public Sector Appointments competition,” the GRAI said.
On October 30, James Browne, the minister of state at the Department of Justice with responsibility for law reform, welcomed the competition to appoint a seven-person authority.
“Once established, it will have significant enforcement powers to enable it to take appropriate and focused action where providers are failing to comply with the provisions of the authority’s licensing terms, conditions and regulations,” Browne said.
The closing date for applications to fill the roles of chairperson and six ordinary members at the GRAI is November 15.
