He questions Caulfield’s appointment, not the senior civil servant’s ability or commitment, but because he feels the Government should have looked for someone with direct, international experience of dealing with the modern betting industry. Stewart Kenny, a former chief executive and board member of Paddy Power, is less optimistic. However, he agrees that the Republic has tended not to provide statutory regulators with the resources they need and that there is a risk it will repeat the mistake here.
From our perspective, it’s now a case of let’s make sure that this is well-funded and well-resourced,” he says. “Ireland has lacked a regulatory framework. He maintains that the company has long wanted to see the regime here brought into the digital age. It will have powers to sanction operators that break the law, including removing their licences, will oversee their advertising, require them to contribute to a fund to aid problem gamblers, give more general consumer protection and prevent fraud.įlutter hopes the new body will be up and running next year, according to Grant, who says the group always favours regulation as it creates a level playing field for everyone. The authority will license betting businesses, including websites, bookie shops and casinos.
