Flutter Entertainment Tightens Gambling Rules in Ireland

Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of popular betting brands Paddy Power, Betfair, and Sky Bet, has announced a series of measures to enhance safer gambling policies in Ireland. These measures include a ban on credit card use for online and retail accounts, a pre-watershed whistle-to-whistle advertising ban on live sports, and increased investment in problem gambling research and treatment.

Effective from early April, Flutter will no longer accept credit card payments from customers in Ireland. This change will affect all online customer accounts and Paddy Power shops. Customers currently using credit cards as their active payment method will need to switch to an alternative payment method.

Starting from May 1st, Flutter will implement a restriction on TV advertising during live sporting events before 9 PM. This ban will apply to various sports including GAA, soccer, rugby, golf, tennis, boxing, basketball, athletics, American football, darts, and motor sports, but will not include horseracing or greyhound racing. The advertising ban will run from 5 minutes before the event until 5 minutes after.