Change of regulation in Republic of Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland, the Gambling Regulation Bill (the "Bill"), which has been under consideration in the Irish Parliament since December 2022, and previously noted by the Company, has been approved by the Oireachtas (the Parliament of Ireland) and will pass into law once enacted by the President. The Bill aims to establish a new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (the "Regulator") to oversee licensing and regulation of gambling, betting, and certain lotteries in the country.

The final Bill contains no specific references to broadcaster prize draw competitions ("Prize Draws"), and in particular those containing a 'no purchase necessary' route of entry. It is therefore not clear whether the legislation covers 'no purchase necessary' Prize Draws. To that end, our Irish broadcaster customers, which represented the vast majority of the Company's revenue outside the UK in FY24, are continuing to seek legal advice over the potential impact, if any, of the Bill on their business.

The Company's current expectations are for customer services in Ireland to continue to operate unchanged, although it is recognised this could change as the regulatory position becomes clearer or an implementation plan is released by the new Regulator that provides further clarity. As such, market expectations for the current financial year remain unchanged.