233. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures his Department is taking to protect children from online gambling advertising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27460/26]

Niamh Smyth, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Ireland will use our upcoming Presidency of the European Union to advocate for greater online safety and the protection of children, in particular, from the misuse of digital tools. The European Commission has a key role to play in this area, and it is important to ensure that we work together with them and Member States to ensure a cohesive and enduring approach to ensuring greater online safety.

In terms of protecting children from online gambling advertising, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of has the lead role in making sure gambling activities are well-regulated and fair. This includes setting up safeguards for children and other vulnerable people to address the harms gambling can cause and regulating advertising and marketing in relation to gambling to support those safeguards.

Complimentary to the specific regulation of Gambling, over the last few years, this Government has put in place a significant body of legislation providing the foundation for Ireland’s online safety framework, including the regulation of social media.

Coimisiún na Meán, as Ireland’s online safety and media regulator, is at the heart of the online safety framework. It was established under the Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Act which transposed the EU Audio Visual Media Services Directive.

The OSMR Act, the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation and the Digital Services Act (DSA) are the main elements of Ireland's online safety framework.

DETE leads on the DSA which introduces obligations on providers of online intermediary services, including online social media platforms, to protect users and consumers of online services. The DSA is designed to provide better protection of fundamental rights; more control and choice over online experiences; stronger protection of children online; and expedited removal of illegal content. The regulation has applied in full since 17 February 2024.

Under Article 28 of the DSA, providers of online platforms that are accessible to minors are required to put in place appropriate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security of minors on their services. Specifically, the rules ban targeted advertising to minors based on profiling using the personal data of users of their services when they can establish with reasonable certainty that the recipient of the service is a minor.

In July 2025, the Commission published guidelines to assist providers of online platforms in the application of the protection of minors under the DSA to ensure a safe online experience for children and young people. These set out recommendations that online platforms need to follow to protect children and teens online including using age verification for accessing high-risk content like gambling. In addition, platforms need to block access to loot boxes, a digital item that gives random rewards, often used in games.

The DSA requires all Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) to conduct a yearly assessment to identify potential systemic risks associated with the design of their recommender systems and any other relevant algorithmic system. This includes risks associated with the protection of minors. They must then put in place effective mitigation measures to address these systemic risks. To assist with enforcement of these obligations, the European Commission established the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT). The Centre provides technical expertise, scientific research, and foresight on emerging risks to support the Commission's exclusive supervisory and enforcement role of the systemic obligations on VLOPs/VLOSEs. This collaboration aims to enhance the transparency and accountability of algorithmic systems, thereby contributing to a safer and more trustworthy online environment for all users.

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Dáil Éireann debate. Question 284, 289 – Gambling sector [27481/26]

284. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has considered any proposals to ban online gambling advertising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27481/26]

289. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures his Department is taking to protect children from online gambling advertising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27459/26]

Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: I propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 289 together.

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 (‘Act of 2024’) contains provisions in relation to the advertising of gambling activities, including online and on social media.

The Act of 2024 established a new, dedicated, independent statutory authority – Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (the ‘Authority’) – to regulate the gambling sector. The provisions of the Act and the powers of the Authority are being rolled out on a phased basis. Earlier this year I signed a commencement order which allowed the Authority to begin accepting and processing applications for remote and in-person betting licences, in line with the Act of 2024, from 5 February 2026. As the Authority builds up its resources, commencement of the licensing of the gaming and lotteries sector will next take place.

The advertising provisions of the Act of 2024 mostly apply to those licensed by the Authority. The Act provides for a number of safeguards to protect people, most notably children and vulnerable persons from the harms associated with gambling, with a particular focus on online activities.

These measures include section 146 which provides that advertising of gambling activities on social media or video-sharing services may only be permitted where a person has an account on a social media or video sharing service and has specifically subscribed to a licensee’s account on that service and section 149 which provides for a watershed prohibiting gambling advertising between 5:30 am to 9 pm on audio-visual on-demand media services, on-demand sound services and broadcasters.

Section 144 provides for a wide-ranging power to allow the Authority to prescribe the times, place and events where gambling advertising can be broadcast, displayed or published, and allows the Authority to specify the frequency which advertising can be shown or broadcast and the duration of such advertisements.

The Act also includes a number of provisions dedicated to protecting children offline. Section 151 prohibits the manufacture, import for sale in the State, or the sale or supply (including free of charge) of branded clothing or merchandise, by a licensee, that are intended to be worn or used by children. Furthermore, section 159 of the Act prohibits a licensee from sponsoring or causing another person to sponsor:

• an event or part of an event where the majority or participants or attendees are children.
• an event aimed at children;
• an organisation, club or team that has children as members;
• a premises that is used by an organisation, club or team that has children as members; or
• a public activity that appeals to children.

These sections have not been commenced as yet. The protections and safeguards provided for in the Act are contingent on the majority of the sector being licensed and regulated by the Authority. Officials in my Department are continuing to work, in collaboration with the Authority, on progressing the further commencement of the remaining provisions of the Act as quickly as possible.