Mr. Conor Grant:

The Deputy has made some good points. Fundamentally, this is where the legislation and regulatory framework have to help us. Those numbers do not show a true picture. We have the overall gambling prevalence numbers, which are the ones the Deputy quoted.

What we need to do and where we need to do more are questions that we have been considering a great deal from a business and online perspective. In the past six months, we have implemented what is called an affordability triple step. A gambling disorder is complex and there is no silver bullet, so we have to view affordability as a key part of our prevention measures. It is critical that there be proactive prevention of gambling disorders.

There are three key steps in the affordability model that Flutter uses in the UK and that we have also implemented in Ireland. The first step starts at registration. In the UK, we carry out background checks where we look for financial vulnerability. We cannot do that in Ireland because the same systems are not in place. We would call on the regulator to help us to implement them.

Regarding the second step, Flutter has invested a great deal in algorithms that help us to predict gambling disorders. We have the data and we can see step changes in people's online environment. This interaction and intervention with customers is where the sea change has occurred in recent years and where the industry has collectively made great strides. Deputy Carroll MacNeill asked us what we were doing. We are intervening with customers because we can see what is happening.

These are key steps. We also need to take a risk-based approach to the issue because different segments have different risks. For example, we see younger people – under-25s – being at greater risk, in that their prevalence rates are slightly higher. When using our affordability and interaction strategies, it is critical that we step in and intervene at the right points in the customer's journey. We must get this part right.