Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their submission. Bookmakers are a little like politicians - nobody believes them, no matter what they say. I was born and reared across from a bookmaker's shop and when The Hook was in action - Deputy Creighton will remember that - I was hooked at the time. I grew up with backing horses but I have seen huge change in the industry. I have also seen huge change in the little town I come from, Carrick-on-Suir, because retail shops are closing and business is going on line.

I feel sympathy for the smaller bookmakers but the multiples are getting as much online as the real online companies. I have accounts with a number of bookmakers and it is a lot easier to sit down on a wet Saturday evening and go online and watch whatever is on than to go to town and find parking. The little advantage Irish bookmaker shops had and seemed to use for a while was customer service. Biscuits were provided in some of them at one stage, but the biscuits have been withdrawn now and all that is provided is tea. This might seem funny but the point is that unless bookmakers provide an extra service people will use the online service.

I do not think there is anything in the point made about how much money bookmakers make from Irish horseracing. There is probably three times more racing going on in England every day than in Ireland. Certainly there is on an annual basis. People cannot expect the Irish horse industry to put on racing when it does not have the racing days. I have a certain amount of sympathy for bookmakers, but as Deputy Penrose said before he left, we never see a bookie on a bicycle. They must make their case here but to be honest, they will not get too much sympathy from punters.