1505. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 1349 on 14 June 2022, if she will confirm that the provision of games and lotteries by remote means, such as online and via apps is illegal in Ireland, given that it is not included for licensing in the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956; the penalties that apply in respect of any offences committed by offering such illegal games to the public in Ireland; the number of prosecutions that were taken in respect of such offences for each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39824/22]

Minister of State at the Department of Justice: The Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019 significantly modernised the provisions of the 1956 Act. Gaming and lottery activity provided by either a permit from An Garda Síochána or a licence from the District Court are not prevented from being provided by remote means in addition to physical means at a premises. Lottery activities for charitable and philanthropic purposes are the lifeblood of our sports clubs and community organisations. Sales of tickets can take place online, which proved very important for those clubs and organisations during the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The issue of whether an offence might arise under the Acts is a matter for An Garda Síochána.

As the Deputy is aware, 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.

The Government has approved the Gambling Regulation Bill for priority drafting and publication, and drafting is underway. Importantly, the Bill will address the currently fragmented legislative framework in relation to gambling in the State and the regulation of same. To achieve this, the Bill will introduce a modernised and streamlined licensing framework to reflect the nature of gambling in the State, with new types of licences for both in-person and online / remote betting as follows:

- Business to Consumer Gaming, Betting and Lottery Licences;

- Business to Business Licences; and

- Gambling licences for Charitable/Philanthropic Causes.This approach is based on the recommendations of both the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Future Licensing and Regulation of Gambling and the Final report on the establishment of a modern regulatory environment and authority for all gambling activities licensed in Ireland. These reports are available on my Department’s website as follows: www.justice.ie/en/JELR/IDWG-Report-on-Future-Licensing-and-Regulation-of-Gambling.pdf/Files/IDWG-Report-on-Future-Licensing-and-Regulation-of-Gambling.pdf.

www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Final-Report-on-Gambling-Regulation.pdf/Files/Final-Report-on-Gambling-Regulation.pdf.

The Bill includes provisions to ensure that the Authority will have the necessary powers to enforce the licensing regime with statutory power to impose a range of appropriate sanctions.

There is a pathway mapped for this legislation progressing which, with the cooperation of the Houses of the Oireachtas, will facilitate the Authority being established and operational in 2023.

Recruitment of the CEO Designate is also underway through an open Public Appointments Service competition.

A Programme Board has been established in my Department to ensure that the legislation and the operational preparations are progressed in parallel so that the Authority commences operations as soon as possible after enactment.