Ireland to reform 50-year-old gambling laws

temple-bar-dublinIreland may well be the destination for next year’s iGaming Super Show and even Calvin Ayre’s 50th birthday but right now it’s not all plain sailing for England’s nearest island neighbour. The country is currently underperforming to enough of an extent that the EU is talking about a Greek style bailout to assist the struggling economy. Not good news for Europe, but the money problems seem to have forced the government’s hand when it comes to gambling legislation.

Newspaper the Irish Independent understands that justice minister Dermot Ahern is pushing for gambling laws to be re-thought out allowing a Las Vegas style super casino to be built on the island.

Proposals would include a 6,000 square metre casino, a replica of the White House, a 500-bedroom five-star hotel, greyhound track, all-weather racecourse, and an 18-hole golf course – all situated next to the Dublin to Cork Motorway. It’s thought the project would cost around €470million to construct

Ahern already recognizes how outdated the current laws are – the latest reform happening over 50 years ago in 1956, and commented that they’re “completely out of date.” It’s thought that the government has already received more than 70 submissions from the public and it’s expected that it legislation will be presented in front of the cabinet in the near future. It should be stressed though that any reform would take around 12 months to pass through the government.