€10 LIMIT COULD MEAN NORTH IS THE BEST BET...

Gamblers may flock across border if law changed

GAMBLING bosses have warned that new legislation which limits some bets to €10 will send punters flocking across the border.

They claim that job losses and “black-market gambling” will be the result of the controversial Gambling Regulation Bill 2022.

The Government wants to introduce the new legislation with tighter caps on limits, websites and apps, and advertising restrictions imposed between 5.30am and 9pm.

But gambling company Lottoland, which allows people to bet on international lotteries, yesterday warned that the new laws could cause more problems.

One new restriction contained in the legislation states that the maximum a person can stake is €10 for games with top prizes of €3,000, but this can go up to €360,000 for special fundraisers like houses or luxury cars.

Lottoland said the survey found that 60% of consumers surveyed responded that they either disagree with, or are unsure about the introduction of caps.

A spokesman said: “This €10 cap will mean that an individual can only place a maximum of €10 on any given sports, casino or lottery bet. You won’t be able to place €50 on a horse to win or €20 on black in roulette for instance.

“Simultaneously, it means that you will only be able to win a maximum of €3,000 on any given bet, meaning that accumulators worth tens of thousands will be a thing of the past.

“This will mean radical changes for your everyday punter and puts the entire sector at jeopardy.”

He told the Irish Mirror: “Some of the details are still not clear.”

Lottoland Ireland vice-president Mike Kirwan added: “The new measures in this legislation look set to undermine the Bill’s stated objective of harm prevention. They will only lead to the proliferation of black market gambling, with punters will flock to Northern Ireland to avoid the win caps.”