Gambling laws in Ireland to change

We last spoke about the outdated gambling laws in Ireland when we reported here at casinos.ie the proposal by Richard Quirke to build a resort casino and leisure complex in Co Tipperary and we said at the time that legislation would need to change and now it seems that it might. The Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has published proposals for licensing the smaller members clubs which would then be able to operate as casinos and to permit one large scale casino such as that proposed by Mr Quirke which could have up to 1500 slot machines. Mr Ahern believes that the proposals could provide employment both in the construction and the operating of the casino as well as generate considerable revenue for the State through taxes but any development would have to be supported by the local community and no State funding would be provided. Under the proposals the current members clubs would be permitted to operate up to 15 gaming tables and a number of slot machines. The difficult area of online casinos is also addressed but we know already from when Finance Minister Brian Lenihan promised to apply the 1% tax to online operators that most of these online casinos are not operated from this country which makes a tax difficult to apply. The proposals do include a continuing ban on fixed odds gaming machines in bookmakers shops which are recognised as giving poor odds anyway and recognises that legislation needs to protect underage gamblers. It is possible that legislation could change within this year; watch this space here at casinos.ie.