Louth TD says Gambling Regulation Bill is a “good first step”

Gambling has a huge impact on people’s lives and the Gambling Regulation Bill is a “good first step” in trying to deal with an industry where people are “just a step away from impoverishing themselves,” according to Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú.

The Dundalk TD was speaking during a debate in Leinster House on the Gambling Regulation Bill, which, he said, people had been waiting decades for, but the legislation ‘should not be rushed’

Deputy Ó Murchú said: “We need to ensure we cover as many of the loopholes as possible. Many of us know people who suffered from gambling addiction, whether anecdotally, from the work we do in our constituencies or from those we know.

“I have heard it said many times that you can only drink so much, you can only put so much in your arm or up your nose but when it comes to gambling there are no holds barred. That is not to under-estimate or underplay the impact we have when we deal with those other addictions.

“However, given the free access people have in regard to gambling, unlike previously when people had to regulate themselves to make it down to a particular place to make a punt, unfortunately because of smart phones to which we all have access, you are literally a step away from impoverishing yourself.

“We all welcome the moves in regard to the watershed in regard to advertising but a wider conversation is needed in regard to the entanglement of sports, gambling and advertising, and advertising within advertising. Trying to deal with the online sphere is incredibly difficult.

“Certain tools are now available to us because we are talking about the algorithms that some of the betting companies use to improve their own odds to get the best bang for their buck from some of their punters.

“We need to be able to reset that game from the point of view of the algorithms being used, as they are in certain jurisdictions, and from the point of view of showing up problem gambling as soon as possible in order that it can be locked down. I understand that it is difficult to have a regulatory framework that can deal with this but that is the world we are in. It is what we are up against and it is what we need to deal with.”

He also highlighted online gambling targeting children.

He said:

“We all know that from a very young age, children are being conditioned in regard to gambling. Again, we know of the games within games and we know about Roblox and simulated casino gaming. It is way beyond reprehensible. As I said, there has been a huge impact on many lives.

“We need to make sure we can catch as much as is necessary before the finalised bill goes through. I hope the Minister is open to what the Opposition is saying and, in particular, to the amendments that will come from this side of the House.”