Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber again. Fianna Fáil will not be opposing this Bill, the purpose of which is to ban the advertising of gambling, except where such advertising is in connection with the promotion of a gambling event for charitable status or purposes, subject to limited expectations. The Bill also specifically distinguishes between advertising on television and radio and all other forms of advertising.

Last October the Government approved the draft of the gambling regulation Bill and the publication of the corresponding general scheme. The scheme has been referred for pre-legislative scrutiny. The Government’s Bill is at an advanced stage of preparation with careful consideration of policy and drafting to avoid unintended consequences and legal uncertainty. The Private Members’ Bill, as currently drafted, could not be supported on Committee Stage. It is expected the Government’s gambling regulation Bill will be in a position to be published and progressed through the Oireachtas in 2022. Senator Wall and members of all parties and none would agree the legislative framework is fragmented and outdated, lacks a coherent licensing and regulatory approach and is in need of significant reform. The programme for Government gives a clear commitment to establish a gambling regulator focused on public safety and well-being, covering gambling online and in person and the powers to regulate advertising, gambling websites and apps, which has been outlined by Members.

All Members of this House will recognise the significant work done by the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, since he took office. The issue needs to be addressed comprehensively and the gambling regulation Bill, which will introduce a gambling regulatory authority, will do this. The scheme takes into account the recommendations of an expert report, including the interdepartmental working group report published in March 2019, analysis of the regulatory approaches in other jurisdictions, and the nature of gambling in the State. It also recognises the ever-increasing impact of technology on gambling and addresses the proliferation of gambling-related advertising. The authority will have among its key objectives ensuring gambling is conducted in a fair and open way for companies to make decisions in certainty, requiring safeguards to address problem gambling, including on gambling advertising, and preventing gambling from being a source of or support to crime. We will be better served by acting on all of the challenges in this area as a whole, including advertising, rather than doing so on a stand-alone basis.