Ireland to Levy 1% Levy on Online Bookmakers

The Irish government last week published details of the Betting (Amendment) Bill 2012, which suggests charged online and offshore bookmakers a 1 percent betting levy but strangely ignores the subject of online poker altogether.

Irish Betting Laws

Under the proposed legislation, online and offshore bookmakers will be charged a 1% levy, which according to country's finance minister ensures there is no competitive disadvantage to onshore firms. This represents a much lower tax than places like the UK, which has lost gambling operators because of disputes over betting levies.

However, the bill strangely did not address online poker, which means that standalone operators such as PokerStars and PartyPoker will not have to pay the 1% levy being imposed on other offshore gambling operators that deal with betting.

European-Style Reforms?

Some had expected Ireland to follow the lead of fellow EU member states like Spain and Italy in fully liberalizing and regulating online poker. These countries have already handed out plenty of licenses to dozens of offshore gambling operators, all protected by their own regulatory environment.

888poker and other leading online poker firms are already operating Spanish websites, and if Ireland were to take the same step it would allow locals to have poker supplied by the best global firms, but all within an Irish-friendly environment and with an upholding of their commitment to responsible gambling.