The number of annual gaming machine licenses issued in Clare so far this year is already 40% above the figure for the whole of 2023.
Figures published by the Department of Finance show over 100 such licenses have been purchased in this county in 2024 to date, with the figure having already surpassed that of last year’s end-of-year total.
Sometimes called arcade games or slot machines, gaming machines are typically seen in Ireland in bookmakers, casinos and pubs.
Revenue states that in order to be considered a gaming machine, the machine must be constructed or adapted for gaming, the player must pay to play it, the outcome of the game must be determined by the machine, and it must afford the player more than the option to play again or the option to obtain a monetary prize.
Operators of gaming machines are required to hold a gaming licence for each premises where machines are available to play, to hold a gaming licence for each individual machine, and to have each individual licence on display on its respective machine.
So far this year, 167 gaming licences have been issued in Clare, 140 of which have been annual gaming licences while the remaining 27 were three-month licences.
The number of annual licences purchased here is already 40% above the total for 2023 when just 100 such licences were given out.
Three-month licences appear to be seeing a sharp decline here however as just 27 have been granted by Revenue since January compared to 185 across 2023.
In 2024 to date, €74,615 has been generated from the purchase of gaming machine licences which isn’t far off the €77,615 collected by Revenue here last year.
The total revenue generated through annual gaming licence fees since 2020 meanwhile amounts to €224,045.
You can hear more on this story on Clare FM’s Morning Focus, this Tuesday morning, from 9am
