Irish Government grants 27 operator licenses

Ireland’s gambling authority has issued 27 operator licenses to its newly regulated remote betting market. The licenses have been granted for a period of two years allowing igaming and sports betting provisions to be serviced and marketed to Irish consumers.

Ireland’s Tax and Customs Office published its revised list on 1 September. As expected Irish betting operators Paddy Power, Boylesports and Matchbook appear on the list

UK operators Ladbrokes, Betfair, Betfred, Gala Coral, William Hill and bet365 are amongst the 27 operators that have gained licenses.

International sports betting operators granted licenses include 188BET, PokerStars, Full Tilt and bet-at-home

Under the new regulations set out in the Act which went live on 1 August, online casino, gaming and bingo services in Ireland will face a 1% tax on gross gaming revenue. Online sports betting operations will be charged at a 15% net revenue rate, mirroring the rate set by the UKGC for activities in the UK market.

The new framework is expected to introduce a specific Irish Gambling Control Bill by 2016, which will see the introduction of a specialised gambling regulator.