Irish anti-gambling campaigners have called for the implementation of a fair set of rules that would apply to everyone in the sector ahead of passing the lawmakers’ landmark gambling legislation, following some revelations that a number of politicians have attended a recent event organised by some bookmakers.
According to reports, several Senators and Government Teachta Dálas (TDs) attended a corporate hospitality event which took place at the Punchestown Racecourse in April. As revealed by the Irish Daily Mail, the Irish Bookmakers Association (IBA) paid for three tables at the event, which the Government officials attended.
The revelations came at a time when the Irish Government is making preparations to enact some new gambling laws aimed at making the gambling legislation of the country more up to date and seeing it serve its purposes.
According to Barry Grant, CEO of the free counselling and helpline services available to people dealing with problem gambling behaviour – Extern Problem Gambling – things like this were not helpful ahead of the passing of such an important legislative framework. Mr Grant shared he was concerned that the fairness of the legislative process was not guaranteed since huge companies took advantage of the opportunity to offer special treatment to local lawmakers, hoping that they would demonstrate more sympathy for their cause.
Ongoing Gambling Law Reform to Make the Irish Gambling Industry Fairer and Safer
The Extern Problem Gambling’s CEO suggested that Irish lawmakers rarely paid the same attention to anti-gambling campaigners and charities in the area, with the latter rarely getting the chance to meet with politicians in a casual setting. Mr Grant noted that charitable organisations and campaigners do not have the resources to do it, and even if they did, they would simply spend the money on helping problem gamblers deal with their compulsive behaviour.
The recently reported casual meetings of lawmakers and gambling companies officials are not happening only in Ireland. For example, the last few years have seen reports that Members of Parliament have been accepting special gifts, such as free tickets for sporting events, from gambling operators, emerge, with some of the local politicians facing enormous criticism for their links to the industry.
One of the members of the Irish republican and democratic socialist political party, Thomas Gould, has commented on the latest revelations of politicians attending the racing event, saying that was seriously concerning. According to him, the country’s Government should have acted on the issue a long time ago and urged Irish legislators to make the implementation of fair and robust regulation of the gambling sector a priority. Thomas Gould TD believes that the local lawmakers need to make sure the new legislation meets the needs of people at risk of developing addiction or people who already face the negative effects of excessive gambling.
Earlier in May, a cross-party committee called for stricter measures in the country’s gambling legislation, which has already been delayed by the Government. James Browne, Minister of State, shared that the Department of Justice will take the recommendations made in the report into consideration and confirmed that the new gambling regulatory body of the country is expected to start operation in 2023.
- Author
Olivia Cole
