Mr. Kevin Murphy:

The legislators need to address the issue of right to bet legislation which is being addressed in France. The off-course betting industry is perhaps the only industry I know of that does not pay for a certain amount of its raw material. With the exception of horse racing, soccer and perhaps one or other major sport, it does not pay anything for the right to bet on an event. The GAA, probably the greatest amateur sports organisation in the world, puts on marvellous spectacles during the year and the bookmakers derive millions of euro in income from betting on the GAA championships, yet the GAA receives nothing. The right to bet legislation should be given serious consideration when drafting this Bill to ensure events are not swiped from the organisations by the betting industry and that the organisations in question receive an appropriate fee.