Irish regulator on the hunt for chair and six board members
Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland to bolster ranks as it gears up for phased introduction next year to oversee the re-regulated gambling market
Ireland’s new gambling regulator is on the hunt for a chair and six board members after the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 was approved this month.
The regulation, which marked the largest shake-up to the country’s gambling framework since the 1950s, has been signed into law by President Michael D. Higgins.
As part of the legislation, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has been formed to oversee the market.
The GRAI able to dish out fines of up to €20m to operators that breach regulations, of which include new rules around advertising and bonuses.
Former senior civil servant Anne-Marie Caulfield will lead the new body as CEO.
When the bill was approved, the Irish government noted 11 roles had already been filed with the GRAI and that up to the end of September, €3.3m had been spent on its creation.
The new regulator will receive a further €9.1m in 2025 as part of the Irish Budget.
As part of its establishment, the GRAI is looking for a chair who, according to the job advert, will be required to work 20 days a year in return for €11,970.
The six board members will be remunerated to the tune of €7,695 for their anticipated 16 days of work per year.
The GRAI said that a minimum of 10 board meetings per year, each at least six hours in duration, was to be expected from the seven-person group.
Prospective candidates are expected to have “senior level” experience in at least one of several fields, including gambling, law, consumer affairs, gambling-related harms, IT or financial services.
The chair will also work closely with Caulfield and will also be required to attend regular meetings with government officials and ministers.
Appointments to the GRAI board will be split, with four members signing four-year terms and three members taking three-year terms.
The application window opened last week on 25 October and is due to close on 15 November.
Earlier this week, EGR spoke with four leading Irish lawyers to garner their thoughts on how the new regulation will impact the gambling sector in the market.
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.