Ireland not part of new UK advertising restrictions; Sportsbet closes UK customer accounts

Ireland not part of new UK advertising regulations; Sportsbet closes UK customer accounts

New advertising restrictions set to be laid down in the UK will be limited to its borders. That means Ireland is free and clear of these restrictions, at least, for the time being.

Ireland not part of new UK advertising regulations; Sportsbet closes UK customer accountsAs our very own Steven Stradbrooke previously reported, Paddy Power, William Hill, Ladbrokes and Gala Coral will jointly implement a voluntary ban on advertising sign-up offers on TV before 9pm beginning on October 1. They also promised to dedicate 20 percent of shop window advertising to responsible gambling messages, as well as withdrawing any advertising of gaming machines in the same windows.

Word of this development found the ears of TheJournal.ie during a recent conversation with a spokesperson for Irish bookmaker Paddy Power who said that “there are no plans to introduce anything in Ireland” and the new measures are “based on the situation in the UK,” at least for the time being.

“I am proud of the fact that we are taking a lead on this issue,” Gala Coral Group CEO Carl Leaver said. “Millions of people get a great deal of enjoyment from our products and the service that we provide. The right to have a bet is an important freedom and must be balanced by our responsibility to protect vulnerable people.”

Meanwhile, Paddy Power’s Australia-facing brand, Sportsbet, is closing its UK customer accounts ahead of the new licensing regime that takes into effect beginning of next month. Sportsbet has decided not to apply for a UK-based license ahead of the September 15 deadline on license applications under the UK Gambling Commission’s new online gambling regime.

UK customers have already been informed about the planned account closures and have been advised to open new accounts on Paddy Power’s own website.