Coalition to bring in tight regulations for location and operation of casinos

The Government has decided to introduce a new regime setting out detailed regulations for the operation of casinos in Ireland.

The Cabinet agreed yesterday on the general scheme of the Gambling Control Bill 2013, which will be published later this week.

A Government spokesman said that among the issues covered in the Bill will be a restriction on the number of tables and the location of betting establishments. He said a consultation process involving a public symposium would take place to get the widest range of views possible on how gambling should be regulated.

The scheme of the Bill agreed by the Government will propose to legalise much smaller casinos with strict controls over their location and the scale and type of gambling to be allowed.

The introduction of casinos at different locations has been a fraught political issue for more than two decades.

There was a major controversy in the mid-1990s over plans to open a massive casino on the site of the Phoenix Park racecourse. Former Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern was embroiled in the controversy when it emerged that he was a regular guest of casino promoter Norman Turner at Manchester United matches.

It emerged at the Planning tribunal in 2007 that, during Mr Ahern’s term as minister for finance in 1993, the National Lottery signed a non-disclosure agreement to operate a casino in Ireland. The proposal was dropped in response to widespread public opposition.

Plans blocked
In 2011 the Government moved to block plans for a multimillion euro Las Vegas-style casino in Co Tipperary. The €460 million plan for a massive complex near Two-Mile Borris involving a betting and leisure complex, complete with horse and greyhound tracks, was given the go-ahead by planning authorities. But Minister for Justice Alan Shatter announced in September 2011 that the Government would not allow a development on the scale planned. "We've made very specific decisions in the public interest. Those specific decisions include a decision that we will not be making provision for resort-style casinos," said Mr Shatter.

In another decision relating to gambling, the Cabinet also decided to proceed with efforts to extend duty to online betting, although Ministers conceded there will be serious obstacles in the way of collecting the tax.

Another decision made by the Coalition was to suspend implementation of two sections of the Electoral Amendment Bill which is before the Dáil.

Referendums scheduled
The sections relating to the operation of postal voting will not come into effect before the referendums scheduled in the autumn on the abolition of the Seanad and the establishment of a court of appeal.

Another section of the Bill making it obligatory for post offices to display copies of referendum Bills will also be delayed until after the autumn referendums.

A section of the Bill that will come into immediate effect will be the establishment of an electoral commission to redraw the European election boundaries.

The Republic has lost one of its 12 seats in the European Parliament with the accession of Croatia and that will involve an extensive constituency revision.

Instead of the current four three-seat constituencies the State will be divided into two three-seat and one four-seat constituencies.

Detail of the commission setting down the new boundaries will be published in the autumn.