576. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration which sections of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 relating to gambling advertising, sponsorship and inducements, including free bets and promotional offers, have been commenced to date; and the timeline for the commencement of any sections not yet in force. [72361/26]
577. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the amount collected to date for the gambling social impact fund; the amount disbursed; the organisations funded; and the amount allocated specifically to addiction treatment and recovery services. [72369/26]
578. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if mandatory deposit limits, spending limits or affordability checks will be required for online and mobile app gambling accounts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72367/26]
579. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current status of the national gambling exclusion register established under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024; the date on which it became or will become fully operational; the number of persons registered to date; and whether all licensed remote operators are currently connected to the register. [72357/26]

Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: I propose to take Questions Nos. 576, 579, 580 and 582 together.

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 (the ‘2024 Act’) establishes a comprehensive framework for the licensing and regulation of betting, gaming, and certain lotteries, including activities provided online to persons in the State. It also establishes a new, independent statutory body, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). Last year, I signed orders to commence the first provisions of the 2024 Act and establish the GRAI from 5 March 2025.

The provisions of the 2024 Act and the powers of the GRAI are being rolled out on a phased basis and, in that context, I signed an order on 3 February 2026 to commence those parts of the Act that allowed the GRAI to begin accepting applications for the issuing of betting licences. The existing remote betting licensees, then operating under a licence issued by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners up until 30 June 2026, could apply for a licence from the Authority to commence on 1 July 2026. Similarly, in-person betting licensees (on track and on the high street) whose Revenue-issued licences expire on 30 November 2026 can apply to the Authority for a licence from 1 December 2026. As the GRAI builds up its resources, commencement of the licensing of the gaming and lotteries sector will take place. In that context, it is expected that licensing for gaming (remote and in-person) will commence in early 2027 and licensing for lotteries will commence in due course.

The commencement order I signed in February this year included key elements of the 2024 Act, such as the enforcement and complaints functions that underpin the new licensing framework. The order confers robust investigative powers on the GRAI and allows for administrative sanctions in the form of fines of up to €20 million, or 10% of a licensee’s turnover, whichever is greater, to be imposed on licensees found to be in contravention of the 2024 Act. It also commenced a number of criminal enforcement powers and provisions allowing the GRAI to apply to the High Court for orders directing illegal operators to cease operations.

The order also commenced several other key measures, including:

• prohibiting the use of credit cards, or any other credit facilities, for gambling (section 165);
• enabling customers to set monetary limits on how much they can gamble online or remotely for a set period (section 164); and
• providing safeguards for account holders, including allowing the GRAI to limit the amount of money that may be lodged with a licensee (section 170).

Once commenced, Chapter 3, Part 2 of the 2024 Act provides that the GRAI shall establish and maintain a National Gambling Exclusion Register, which shall contain information on persons who have excluded themselves from participating in relevant gambling activities by remote means with licensees of Business-to-Consumer gambling licences. The Register will allow individuals to request exclusion from remote gambling indefinitely and represents an important public health protection measure. The provisions underpinning the Register reflect comparable schemes in other jurisdictions and international best practice.

The advertising provisions of the 2024 Act primarily apply to those licensed by the GRAI and have not been commenced as yet. Section 144 allows the GRAI to prescribe the times, places, and events where gambling advertising can be broadcast, displayed, or published, as well as its frequency and duration. Section 146 restricts gambling advertising on social media and video-sharing platforms to persons who have subscribed to a licensee's account. Section 149 introduces a watershed prohibiting gambling advertising between 5:30 am and 9 pm on audio-visual on-demand media services, on-demand sound services, and broadcasters. Work is ongoing with the Office of the Attorney General to commence these advertising provisions.

Part 2, Chapter 4 of the 2024 Act provides for the establishment of a Social Impact Fund financed through an obligatory annual contribution from all commercial gambling licensees (other than licensees for Charitable and Philanthropic purposes). Section 5 provides that the GRAI may make payments from the Fund for purposes including:

• research, training, community interventions and other initiatives aimed at reducing or eliminating compulsive or excessive gambling and its social impacts;
• public education and awareness-raising measures that highlight the social impact of compulsive or excessive gambling, or inform the public about available resources; and
• the provision of services for the treatment of participants engaged in compulsive or excessive gambling, and others affected by it.

Section 54 provides for the making of regulations to set the percentage of licensees’ turnover to be payable as a contribution to the Fund and the manner and date of payment. My Department is currently working with the Office of the Attorney General on these regulations.

The protections and safeguards provided for in the 2024 Act are contingent on operators being licensed and regulated by the GRAI. In collaboration with the GRAI, officials in my Department are continuing to work to progress commencement of the remaining provisions of the 2024 Act as quickly as possible.

In the interim, a number of practical tools are available to help limit an individual's exposure to gambling advertising and content. More information on some of the tools available is set out on the GRAI’s Protection Tools webpage: www.grai.ie/gambling-safety/get-support/protection-tools