Existing laws regulating gambling in the State are not fit for purpose, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said today.
Speaking following the publication of a consultation paper entitled Options for Regulating Gambling, Mr Ahern said his wish was that regulation of the industry be brought into the 21st century.
This would mean "improved protection for minors and vulnerable adults, more transparent operations by gambling providers, and more effective measures against fraud and illegal gambling and criminality," he said.
The paper, drawn up following a public consultation process, says resort casinos would generate large-scale employment during construction and operation and should also provide a high return to the state in terms of licensing fees and gambling tax revenue.
Tipperary North TD Michael Lowry has expressed support for a "Las Vegas-style" casino, sports complex and entertainment resort which has been granted planning permission to be built in his constituency near the village of Two-Mile-Borris.
The €460 million development is the brainchild of developer Richard Quirke, a former garda from Thurles who is best known for running a gaming arcade, Dr Quirkey's Good Time Emporium, on Dublin's O'Connell Street.
The consultation paper says the development of such a facility would be subject to market forces and would receive no special support from the State.
Despite the fact that casinos are illegal in the Republic, up to 50 private members' clubs are in existence offering casino-type games.
The paper says private members' clubs at which gambling activities are carried could be obliged to apply for authorisation as registered casinos. Failure to do so would result in closure and prosecution for illegal gambling.
Other measures examined in the report include a proposal that responsibility for all gambling activities fall under a new unified regulator for gambling, headed by the Department of Justice, with local authorities having powers over planning and licensing arrangements.
It says remote gambling over the internet, phone, and interactive TV should also be regulated under strict licensing conditions, irrespective of whether the product is offered from within Ireland, or from off-shore.
Mr Ahern said the Government was unlikely to legislate on gambling during its term because it was a complex issue.
He said the publication of the paper was "a major step on the road towards developing a new fully regulated environment for the sector, reflecting 21st century thinking in this area of complex public policy".
The document gives the option of bringing together under a single enactment the regulatory environment for gambling by repealing the Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956 to 2003, the Betting Act 1931 and other related enactments.
