Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I want to tease out the issue of profitability, as there was a 2.5% figure mentioned. Is there not a mathematical equation surrounding this? The witnesses are definite that from every €100 spent in the facility, €88 is given out, but that does not seem to add up. Is there a projection of the profit to be made with bookmakers and casinos? The perception with the public is that the bookmaker always wins eventually. The witnesses are all pretty smart and well-presented people, and the industry is well resourced, so I presume people look at the figures over the course of a year. I do not accept the 2.5% profit figure over the course of the year. Nobody in the public will buy that. I am going to be provocative and seek a reply.