IRELAND Law and Practice Contributed by: Tim O’Connor, The Bar of Ireland
1. Regulatory 1.1 Anti-Doping
1.3 Betting Betting is legal, and while regulated, problem gambling on sport is seen as being a societal problem, particularly given the manner in which online gambling has increased the ease of gambling. There is therefore a strong push to increase the extent and intensity of regulation of gambling. As a result, the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which has had a long and involved legislative history, has now been passed. The Gambling Regulation Authority of Ireland has been set up, which has considerable powers in relation to licensing and regulation of gambling, as well as wide-ranging restrictions on advertising and inducements to gamble, such as free offers or free hospitality. Sponsorship would also be restricted, particularly in relation to events or bodies that appeal to or include children; the effect of this on sports clubs and sports bodies would be immediately clear. The Gambling Regulation Authority is still in the process of recruiting staff, and naturally it remains to be seen how it will operate in prac - tice. However, this is a significant change and Most sporting bodies have generally similar dis - ciplinary systems in respect of doping, betting and integrity offences. The WADA code can be taken as the de facto basis for doping offences, while betting and integrity offences will be dealt with under the individual sporting system, but in broadly similar manners. As a rule, those caught in such will be suspended. However, particularly on the gambling side, it may be treated as much as an addiction issue with help to be provided as a disciplinary matter. will be an area to be watched. 1.4 Disciplinary Proceedings
Doping is not a criminal offence in Ireland. Sport Ireland is the National Anti-Doping Organisation and applies the WADA code as such. It also pro - vides testing facilities to other sporting bodies, such as in competitions organised by those bod - ies where games are in Ireland. Reports detail - ing the number and nature of tests, and notable cases, are published annually. The amount of testing is not evenly distributed. Cycling and rugby tend to test the most, with the GAA having a large absolute number of tests but a lower number relative to participation numbers. Underage testing is limited, with some sports carrying out no such testing. 1.2 Integrity There is no specifically sport-related legisla - tion dealing with sporting integrity offences. Match-fixing or fraud would likely be dealt with as offences of dishonesty by the criminal justice system, but where the athlete engaged in such is not making personal gain, it would be usually left to the sport itself to deal with the matters under its own disciplinary systems. An exception would be where there are integrity offences in a sporting body off-field, such as at the board level. Here, in cases where the sports body is an incorporated body, the companies regulator has dealt with issues of integrity and failings of governance as part of the regulation of corporate bodies. For example, the Football Association of Ireland has had significant issues in recent years arising out of failures to comply with companies legislation.
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