Flutter Entertainment CEO Peter Jackson shared his views about impending gambling reforms in Ireland in a recent editorial in the Irish Times. The corporate honcho voiced support for Ireland’s gambling reforms, while expressing his hope that the regulators handling the day-to-day work of regulation are well-funded enough to do the job.
Jackson says he and Flutter welcome regulation and the benefits a well-regulated gambling market bring to both consumers and operators. “Importantly, we also understand the benefits of having a well-resourced and dynamic regulator based on our extensive experience of operating in licensed markets across the world, where we have 18 million customers. Our experience suggests that a fit-for-purpose, properly enforced regulated market can accommodate the vast majority of customers who enjoy a bet safely, while protecting those for whom gambling can become harmful,” he said.
While Jackson welcomes a regulated environment, he went on to express hope that the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) will be funded well enough to do its job. He pointed out that the UK Gambling Commission is funded to the tune of £45 million ($54.7 million USD) annually. In doing so, Ireland would be setting its gaming industry up for success.
“It is critical that the authority’s chief executive designate has access to comparable budgets to ensure that the GRAI is optimally effective in achieving its mandate. There is no reason why it can’t be a global leader in this area. If Ireland is home to the largest listed gambling operator in the world, as well as thousands of highly-skilled people working in the industry, it should have a world-class regulator to match,” he concluded.