Ireland has officially commenced the recruitment process for the seven-member board of the newly established Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI).
The new regulatory body, created under the historic Gambling Regulation Bill signed into law last month, aims to provide a comprehensive framework for licensing and regulating both online and land-based gambling across Ireland.
It will be led by civil servant Anne Marie Caulfield as CEO and is expected to launch operations on a phased basis following the appointment of its board.
Minister of State at the Department of Justice, James Browne (pictured), described the job openings as a “wonderful opportunity” to guide the sector’s strategic direction and set a “robust regulatory and licensing regime” for gambling.
“The establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is an important development in ensuring a well-regulated gambling sector while protecting the public from gambling harms,” he said.
“Once established, it will have significant enforcement powers to enable it to take appropriate and focused action where providers are failing to comply with the provisions of the Authority’s licensing terms, conditions and regulations,” Browne added.
Seeking qualified leaders
The recruitment drive calls for applicants for the role of chairperson, as well as six ordinary board members, with applications closing on 15 November.
Ideal candidates will bring expertise across various fields, including legal compliance, gambling industry knowledge, consumer protection, addiction pathology (especially related to gambling), information and communications technology, and financial services.
Applicants for the chairperson role must demonstrate senior-level experience in at least one of these areas and, ideally, bring previous board-level experience, corporate governance skills, and strategic planning expertise.
A new era of oversight
The GRAI has the authority to regulate and oversee operators, as well as the advertising of gambling.
The Gambling Regulation Bill restricts gambling ads to between 9:00pm and 5:30am, and imposes penalties of up to nine years in prison for failing to protect minors.
Strict measures are included to crack down on unlicensed operators, with some offences also punishable by imprisonment.