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Overview of gambling industry in Ireland

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Gambling is more than a popular pastime in Ireland. It is a multi-billion dollar industry employing more than 6,000 people across thousands of bookmakers, casinos, and gaming arcades. In fact, the gambling industry is one of the largest in the country, with punters betting more than €5 billion a year.

The surging popularity of gambling could be attributed to the luck of the Irish, but more likely, the recent changes in legislation that permitted the introduction of online casinos. Today, the Irish have 24/7 access to online betting and gaming services for the first time in the country’s history.

How has Ireland’s gambling industry reached such heights, and what laws are set to mix up your wagers in 2018? Read on to uncover how history has shaped the modern gambling industry in Ireland.

History of legislation in Ireland’s gambling industry

Gambling has permeated Irish life since the Middle Ages when stakes were placed on popular stick-and-ball games like hurling and medieval board games like Fidchell. However, it was not until the 16th and 17th century that gambling really took off in the Emerald Isle.

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There were three key reasons behind this. Firstly, increasing levels of alcohol consumption and the opening of public houses in Dublin, which provided a setting for card games. Secondly, horse racing was established as an official sport with a calendar of race meetings and a regulatory body called the Society of Sportsmen. Thirdly, the presence of the English rule, which left governing the country to landlords, who did little to control gambling activities.

Introduction of betting legalisation

Ireland gained independence from Britain in 1922 following a three-year civil war. With the eventual establishment of the Irish Free State, the Government had the power to manage the country’s affairs and soon began taking steps to regulate the gambling industry.

The first legislation to regulate gambling in Ireland was the Betting Act 1926. The act aimed to address the unregulated horse racing industry and stipulated that anyone taking bets on sporting events would require a government-issued licence. Five years later, to meet the growing needs of the bookmaking industry, the act was repealed by the Betting Act 1931. This act relaxed specific prohibitions on commercial betting set out in the Betting Act 1853, a British law, which was still in effect at the time.

The Betting (Amendment ) Act 2015

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Since its introduction, more than 90 years ago, the Betting Act 1931 has undergone several updates. However, the most significant update came recently with the enactment of the Betting (Amendment ) Act 2015. The act legalised online and remote gambling in Ireland for the first time in history.

According to the act, all remote bookmakers and betting agencies who take bets from customers based in Ireland are required to obtain licensing before accepting any wagers from people residing in Ireland.

Introduction of gaming legislation

Historically, gaming and lotteries in Ireland have been regulated primarily by the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956. The act prohibited all forms of unlawful gambling unless the gambling fell under very limited exemptions.

Under the act, casinos were made illegal across the country, while lotteries were permitted to a narrow extent. To be considered legal, lotteries were required to hold a specific lottery license, have small prize limits, and be carried out with the predominant purpose of fundraising for charities or philanthropy. The act did not apply to the tremendously lucrative Irish National Lottery, which almost 44 per cent of the population play regularly.

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An era of underground gambling

A loophole in the 1956 Act led to the establishment of exclusive members’ clubs across the country that offered gambling services under the provision that card-playing was legal in a private dwelling. These unregulated clubs were effectively casinos behind closed doors, offering slot machines, roulette, blackjack, and more. Luckily, the safety of the players is not an issue today, as the transparency of the internet allows for unbiased reviews of virtually every online casino.

Ineffective enforcement occurred when left to local authorities, which also saw gaming machines illegally set up at in amusement parks and travelling carnivals. Some gaming machines were able to accept €500 notes, despite the legislation setting a maximum stake of 6d.

Of even greater concern to those who win big, the 1956 Gaming and Lotteries Act includes the exemption that states gambling debts cannot be enforced. Under this law, gamblers can not only defend the right to pay a debt in court, but bookmakers and online gambling services can also deny paying out a win. In March 2017, a Dublin-based casino was not required to pay €11,000 to a roulette winner, under a judge’s ruling at the Circuit Civil Court. Earlier in June of 2015, a judge of the High Court ruled that a UK gaming company could not collect €118,058 as the funds due were determined a gambling debt.

Gambling Control Bill

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Fortunately, a review of the act was undertaken in 2008, following growing criticism the laws were outdated and poorly enforced. In 2013, parliament passed the Gambling Control Bill, which proposed a new regulatory framework for gambling in the 21st century. The Bill, although not yet enacted, will replace all existing legislation, including the Betting Act 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956. It will bring all types of betting under the one unified body and legalise both online and land-based gambling.

This is excellent news for the online betting agencies and the casino industry, which will be able to operate legally. However, only 40 casino licences are permitted in Ireland at any one time, and super-casinos (those with greater than 15 gaming tables and 25 gaming machines ) will not be allowed.

The new legislation is set to follow the UK and focus on ensuring the gambling industry is conducted in a fair manner that protects vulnerable persons. As such a new regulatory office will be introduced, called the Office for Gambling Control Ireland, which will be responsible for issuing licenses and ensuring compliance with the Bill. The impact the Bill will have on taxes is unclear at this stage. Currently, a 23 per cent VAT fee applies to electronically supplied gaming revenue, and a one per cent turnover tax is payable on bets placed with land-based and online bookmakers.

What is in store for 2018?

Almost five years have passed since the Gambling Control Bill was published in 2013; however its full effect has yet to be seen. According to recent reports, a new general scheme of the Bill is set to be published by the end of the year. Either way, with a robust and modern overhaul of legalisation, Ireland’s gambling future looks bright.

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Source: European Gaming Media and Events

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What makes Turbo Games’ provably fair games so special?

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A partnership between game developer Turbo Games and iGaming solution provider and aggregator Slotegrator began in November 2022 via the APIgrator game integration solution. Since then, the collaboration has been developing successfully — and now it’s time to analyze what made it successful.

Turbo Games has noticed how the new technologies spreading throughout the industry can work for the good of brand transparency and player loyalty: “We can already see how blockchain technology has made it possible to make betting checks more accessible to players. All you need is a blockchain-hash and a decoder service. We think we will continue to move in this direction. Many traditional online casinos do not offer the possibility to check the bet. Sooner or later we all have to come to this. Perhaps the development of artificial intelligence will help here, because we are already seeing its involvement in all spheres of human life.”

Turbo Games specializes in provably fair games. Provable fairness is a concept where players can verify their wins or losses using blockchain technology — the outcome of the game is dictated by a smart contract and is absolutely random, barring the possibility of any human involvement. Using cryptographic hashing algorithms, the gambling site and the player’s device both generate seeds (random strings of numbers). Players receive a key that allows them to check the results; if the results are the same as the game round they witnessed, it proves that there was no foul play.

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According to statistics from Turbo Games, the audience for provably fair games is mostly between 18 and 25 years old. However, there are also players aged 35-40 who prefer traditional games but would like to try something new, and have turned their attention to provably fair games.

There are good odds that the technology of provably fair games will become more popular, if not even commonplace, because it gives players a feeling of transparency and proves that the business is trustworthy without the need to search through dozens of reviews. Whereas many innovations in iGaming simply add entertainment, provable fairness addresses security concerns and reassures players that they’re not being exploited, which is invaluable.

Provably fair games are beneficial for both players and online casinos. Vadim Potapenko, Head of Sales at Turbo Games, comments: “It often happens that the users are not satisfied with the result, because gambling is not only about big wins, but also possible losses. By allowing them to check the fairness of a bet, we make life easier for platforms and players. Of course, this allows us to communicate with partners and users that we work honestly and that’s why they should trust our games.”

Ayvar Gabidullin, Business Development Manager at Slotegrator, adds that “this type of game is now becoming more and more popular and has great potential for both players and game providers in the future. On the part of the player, the advantage is that the player can always be sure that his game is fair and he can independently check any of his bets. And for the game provider, this also simplifies the process of implementing casino games, since now it will not be necessary to obtain the appropriate certificates from independent laboratories before launching new games, they can immediately enter the market with these games and where anyone can check the result and make sure that that there is no cheating with players. Many game providers are starting to look towards this type of game. And as far as I see, many operators are starting to think about adding these games.”

What do players in 2023 need? The iGaming industry is all about reputation and trust. Players have a huge number of platforms to choose from, making them pickier and pickier. There’s an abundance of forums where players leave reviews, so if players view a brand as untrustworthy, there are plenty of places they can share their opinion. Provable fairness not only stops that from happening, it provides evidence to the contrary, giving players something else to talk about.

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Slotegrator also recommends investing time and effort into localization and creating an effective and detailed marketing strategy — before trying provably fair technology players need to get to the platform, and there is no acquisition without marketing.

 

 ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR

Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.

The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.

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The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.

Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.

More information: https://slotegrator.pro/

 

ABOUT TURBO GAMES

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Turbo Games — a provably fair games provider that belongs to Turbo Stars company — has an ambitious goal to establish widespread recognition throughout the iGaming world. Even though it is young, the company consists of professionals who have been working on the brand for over five years and are even planning to introduce a new brand for a wider audience soon.

Turbo Games also works in Europe, India, and South Africa, where the company sees the most potential and expects the same “hype” as in Brazil.

The portfolio of Turbo Games consists of 21 titles, including well-known games like Mines, Crash X, DoubleRoll, Hi-Lo, and Plinko. The studio releases a game every month. However, not all games are developed from scratch. Wicket Blast and Spin Strike, the last two releases, are based on cricket and the Indian Premier League. Crash X remains the most popular fast game in the Turbo Games portfolio, and the studio reports that crash games enjoy stable levels of popularity. Overall, the main focus of the brand is provably fair games.

More information: https://turbogames.io/

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Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

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Looking to take your career to the next level in the games industry? Then, Nordic Game Talents is the place to be! Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

From Oct 27-29, the online and interactive event is dedicated to recruitment and career building in the creative & games industry within the Nordic region. The event empowers participants to be part of a bigger community and motivates them to explore new paths in achieving their career goals.

Hiring creative & games studios – Supercell, Funcom, Panzerdog, Tactile Games, Gamecan, Fingersoft, Dazzle Rocks, Redhill Games to name a few from the Nordic region will be participating in the event. These studios will share information on their latest projects, work culture and what it takes to be part of their team. The individual games associations from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia will share insights through live sessions on the booming games industry in their respective countries. Career development topics pertinent to job seekers like – How to have a successful first interview, Creative Portfolio reviews will also be discussed.

Experienced game industry professionals and individuals beginning their careers from around the world are welcome to join the event. One-to-one interviews with the hiring studios can be scheduled through the event platform. A great opportunity to get to know the studios and network with game professionals from around the world.

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Participating in the event

As a job seeker attending Nordic Game Talents, take a few minutes to fill out a simple registration form. After filling the registration form you will receive a link to the online event platform – PINE, to join the event on 27th October. Participants joining Nordic Game Talents will also receive a free-of-charge pass to the Nordic Game Conference.

To view the complete agenda, please click here and to learn more about the event please visit Games Job Fair

About Games Factory Talents

A Helsinki-based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games & creative industry. Our services include direct recruitment, organizing game job fairs and managing a community of game industry professionals through our GameDev Talent Board.

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To learn more about Games Factory Talents visit – Games Factory Talents

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810 THE SPREAD

Cumulus Media Launches 810 THE SPREAD, the Bay Area’s First Sports Station Focused on Sports Betting

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Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has launched the Bay Area’s first Sports radio station focused on sports betting, 810 THE SPREAD. The new station brings sports and sports betting news, information, and insights to the burgeoning and underserved sports betting audience in San Francisco. 810 THE SPREAD will deliver behind-the-book perspectives from experts in a highly entertaining and engaging format. 810 THE SPREAD goes live today on the legendary 810am frequency that has been the 80-year home of historic Talk Radio KGO-AM. Cumulus San Francisco also launched the station’s new website at www.810thespread.com. Kevin Graham, Program Director of Cumulus’ sister sports stations KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT, adds Program Director duties for 810 THE SPREAD.

Larry Blumhagen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco, said: “810 THE SPREAD joins our sports brands KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT for a trifecta of dynamic sports content across four signals and streaming everywhere. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to serving the Bay Area’s passionate sports fans in an incomparable way.”

Blumhagen added: “This is a bittersweet day for us, as it’s hard to say goodbye to the legendary KGO, which has been a part of listeners’ lives for so many years. We want to thank all the people who have been a part of KGO’s historic run these many years – and the listeners who loyally tuned in to the station. Times change, and we must change with them.”

Kevin Graham, Program Director, 810 THE SPREAD, said: “810 THE SPREAD will be the Bay Area’s best bet for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts, and we are pleased to introduce sports-betting radio to our community. The station will feature a lineup of expert personalities that deliver unique sports talk and sports betting insights that entertain, inform, and engage, along with Cal Football and Basketball as well as select professional and college sports play-by-play events. While 810 THE SPREAD will feature specific gambling information, we believe our entertaining presentation will make it a favorite for all Bay area sports fans and a perfect complement to the legendary KNBR and KTCT. With its addition, it truly shows Cumulus’ commitment to the Bay area as ‘The Sports Leader’!”

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The weekday programming lineup for 810 THE SPREAD includes:

6am-9am – Bet QL Daily – The must-consume show for sports fans and betting fans alike. Hosted by Joe Ostrowski, Joe Giglio, and Erin Hawksworth.

9am-12pm – Jim Rome - Aggressive, informed sports opinions, rapid-fire dialogue, and plenty of sports smack. As one of the most prolific sports talk hosts in America, Rome draws massive tune-in with legions of fans known as clones, who live for Rome’s take on the day’s largest issues in sports.

12pm-4pm – You Better You Bet – Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley have you covered for the best bets on the biggest matchups, the latest line movement and updates in the futures market. We’ll have up-to-the-minute coverage of backdoor covers and bad beats, and the cheers and tears that come with them. It’s sports betting conversation like you’ve never heard before.

4pm-8pm – Bet MGM Tonight – Live sports betting updates for all the night’s games as they happen – plus live “look-ins” for Major League Baseball games in progress. Get the latest scores, sides, totals, props, parlays, futures, and much more with hosts Quinton Mayo, Trysta Krick, and Ryan Horvat.

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8pm-12 Midnight – CBS Sports Radio

BetQL Network programming is provided by Cumulus Media’s Westwood One through a partnership with Audacy.

For more information or to stream 810 THE SPREAD, visit: http://www.810thespread.com.

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