Meanwhile, Flutter says it will continue to invest in its safer gambling division. Some reports have since questioned the commitment of eventual victor, new prime minister Liz Truss, to reviewing UK legislation. There are moves to update British laws, now more than 15 years old, although a white paper due on the issue was shelved pending the outcome of the recent Conservative Party leadership election. Kenny adds that Browne refused to meet him and Fintan Drury, a former Paddy Power chairman, even while the British authorities were very keen to do so. “I have seen very little political interest in the issue,” he says.

He also argues that neither the Coalition nor James Browne, the Minister of State responsible for publishing the new legislation and creating the authority, seem very interested in either the issue itself or the new regulator. Kenny, who maintains that he made “huge mistakes” when pioneering digital betting while at Paddy Power’s helm, says the Government could have looked to Australia or other countries, where they have made strides in tackling problem gambling in the online era. He questions Caulfield’s appointment, not the senior civil servant’s ability or commitment, but because he feels the Government should have looked for someone with direct, international experience of dealing with the modern betting industry. Stewart Kenny, a former chief executive and board member of Paddy Power, is less optimistic. However, he agrees that the Republic has tended not to provide statutory regulators with the resources they need and that there is a risk it will repeat the mistake here. From our perspective, it’s now a case of let’s make sure that this is well-funded and well-resourced,” he says. “Ireland has lacked a regulatory framework. He maintains that the company has long wanted to see the regime here brought into the digital age. It will have powers to sanction operators that break the law, including removing their licences, will oversee their advertising, require them to contribute to a fund to aid problem gamblers, give more general consumer protection and prevent fraud.įlutter hopes the new body will be up and running next year, according to Grant, who says the group always favours regulation as it creates a level playing field for everyone.

The authority will license betting businesses, including websites, bookie shops and casinos.

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