Dáil debates

Thursday, 27 October 2016

11:35 am

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The issue I wish to raise is what is being called "the silent addiction", which is governed by what the Tánaiste called "entirely outdated and not fit-for-purpose regulation and legislation". That silent addiction is gambling, which is divided into gaming, governed by the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, and betting, which is primarily regulated by the Betting Act 1931. These Acts are outdated and virtually unenforceable, and, in particular, they do not take account of the massive shift in gambling to online and mobile-based forms. The industry has licensed bookmakers and online betting licences but there are private members clubs and casinos, some regulated and some not, gaming arcades, some licensed and some not, and gaming and amusement machines, some licensed and some not, in a wide variety of venues.

However, being licensed is not the same as being regulated and does not mean that any of those organisations or any part of the industry is bound by a code of conduct. With no appropriate statutory powers of enforcement, there is no ensuring that gambling is conducted crime free, the machines and software are operated fairly and the gambling services are provided in a socially responsible manner.

According to surveys in the UK and America, 30% to 35% of the industry's revenue comes from problem gamblers, but there is an information gap in Ireland. We are told that this is an addiction about which Ireland does not know enough. The perception is that gambling is just an odd flutter on the grand national, but we have some 40,000 problem gamblers and there has been a significant increase in adolescent gambling. As with other addictions, there is a human cost. People with a gambling addiction speak of psychiatric difficulties, relationship breakdowns and the loss of incomes, jobs, homes and vast sums of money. There is anecdotal evidence of an increase in the incidence of suicide among those who have a gambling addiction. People with this addiction speak about the uncontrollable urge to gamble and the gambler's fallacy that, no matter how many the losses, there will be a win.

Gambling can be accessed everywhere. It is reckoned that some €5 billion is gambled yearly in Ireland. As to private members' clubs, 1% of the industry is regulated for money laundering, which means that 99% that is not. A few months ago, a €38,000 betting slip was seized during a raid on a prominent criminal gang.

The gambling control Bill is long overdue. The general scheme was published in July 2013 and pre-legislative scrutiny was conducted in November 2013, but there has been nothing since. I ask that the Bill be seen as a matter of urgency for the gambling industry and those affected by gambling.

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