November 21 2016
Bookmakers could be forced to refuse large bets from people who do not provide ID after a government report warned that suspected criminals are using betting shops to launder money. High street betting shops processed €2.7 billion of bets in cash last year from customers who were not asked for ID.
Casinos cannot pay out more than €2,000 if the winner does not show ID because games such as roulette can be used to launder funds with minimal risk. No such measures are in place for bookmakers and would be resisted by the retail sector which is already under strain from online betting.