Irish Party Sinn Fein calls for adequate age verification checks for gambling in Ireland
Ireland’s republican and democratic socialist party Sinn Féin has called for the introduction of a ban on pre-watershed gambling advertising being broadcasted on television and online media. This ban on pre-watershed gambling advertising will prevent any form of advertising promoting gambling being shown between the hours of 6am and 9pm. This gambling advertising ban has been proposed under Sinn Féin’s 22-page 26 County Gambling Strategy document and should come into play in early September.
A Secure Solution Needed
Sinn Fein’s 26 County Gambling Strategy document states that no gambling adverts should be targeted at children under the age of 18 or at families with children. This proposal has been set out as one of Sinn Fein’s many attempts to boost the level of regulation in the gambling sector across the country. Sinn Fein also want the Irish government to look into a faster and more secure solution for age verification for online gaming. The party have previously proposed that this faster age verification should come into place via an extension of an electoral database checking facility that will enable age verification in a speedier fashion. The introduction of this extension will mean that all Irish residents must undergo a series of verification before they can gain access to any online gambling products within the country.
These several proposals have been initiated Mr. Thomas Gould, Sinn Fein’s spokesperson on Addiction, Recovery, and Wellbeing referred to the Irish governments complete lack of regulatory oversight in the local betting industry as “frightening” and “unbelievable”. The current regulations in Ireland require gambling operators to ensure that their customers are of legal age within 72 hours after they have placed their bets, but the Sinn Fein party believe that these regulations become stricter.
James Browne, the Irish Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, admitted earlier in 2021 that the progress on setting up a new gambling regulatory body had indeed been slow. A survey from 2020 also showed that more than 3,400 young people in Ireland have some form of gambling problem or addiction. Sinn Fein’s spokesperson Gould has insisted that the Irish government look at the parties proposed changes immediately so that gambling problems and addiction within the country can be properly addressed at last.
AgeChecked Can Help
AgeChecked offers an effective age verification solution that can greatly help players and gambling operators in Ireland. AgeChecked is committed to providing a safe space online for users and ensure that minors are protected from age-restricted content.
We offer a wide range of secure age verification solutions for online content so players, such as those Ireland, can participate in gambling in a safe and secure way. To find out how to introduce a stricter set of rules and regulations and protect your users from age-restricted content online, get in touch with AgeChecked today.
