Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome any Bill that attempts to address the damaging effects of gambling. There are too many families suffering because of the effect gambling has had on a family member, and by extension, the family itself. A lot of work is carried out under the radar in communities across the country. A centre in County Tipperary recently secured funding to help those with gambling addiction, namely, the Spafield Family Resource Centre in Cashel, where a launch took place a couple of months ago. The services will also be accessible in the Millennium Family Resource Centre in Thurles and the Silver Arch Family Resource Centre in Nenagh.

We have to be aware of how we are constantly bombarded with gambling advertising. Whether we want to admit it, those advertisements target the weak spots in a person who may be prone to addiction to gambling. It has to be admitted that addiction is involved here. While addiction may have connections with mental health issues, it must also be recognised as requiring specialised support in itself. The social impact fund provided for in the Bill must address the overall shortfall in proper funding of treatment for problem gamblers. The nature of addiction is that it re-emerges given the opportunity and can be hard to resist. We must have adequate funding available for addiction services. Otherwise, people will face constant battles against gambling addictions throughout their lives.

That brings me to the prevalence of gambling advertising and access to gambling. The truth of it is that if I want to gamble, all I have to do is pick up my phone. If I have particular apps downloaded then all I need do is tap and the process of bleeding me dry will begin. That is how it can be for many people. Attention should be given to how so many of these apps are designed. It is becoming a known fact that considerable effort is put into the design of these apps, in terms of both the visuals and the interface, to make them more attractive to the user, which also makes it easier to fall down that rabbit hole. This needs addressing. It needs examination, understanding and regulation because it is a sign of an effective technique. I will be interested to see how the gambling regulator addresses this. The technical design of these applications is having an impact that may not be obvious but I understand it is effective.

On the issue of the ease with which people can access gambling opportunities, I note that in addition to the rest of his work on gambling, my colleague, Deputy Gould, has moved a Bill to ban online gambling using a credit card.

I have listened to much of this discussion and it is clear there is a depth of common feeling that cannot be ignored. I hope the Minister of State will take on board the views expressed today because expressing those views and acting on them, where appropriate, is the reason we are all here. Gambling companies cannot think they have done enough by washing their campaigns through the use of public awareness messages. Far more needs to be done. The companies need to shoulder more responsibility and the regulator needs to have the powers and ability to make sure of that. We also need to see more gambling awareness programmes that are free of the industry. Otherwise it will always seem as though there is a potential price to pay for proactive messaging.

I support this Bill but I want to see it funded in a way that tackles the causes of the problem, assists people with addiction and protects them from the gambling promotion that is virtually everywhere we look. The Minister of State will have heard Deputy Michael Healy-Rae spoke about Timmy in the local shop 20 years ago. That is all fine because Timmy or Mary knew when a person was in trouble. However, every one of us can now access gambling 24 hours per day using our phones. This is having a detrimental effect on families. I urge the Government to support Deputy Gould's Bill, even if it only cut off that end of it.

We are coming up to Christmas. As addicts will tell us, it is not even about the winning but just about the thrill of having a bet on. We need to protect families who are caught in that kind of situation. It is so simple. As has been said, these companies spend millions and millions to get the last cent out of someone's pocket. They have no morals or anything else. They do not care about any family or how it will go into Christmas or the new year. We need to tackle them. Tommy and Mary in the betting shop years ago had some bit of understanding of who was in their locality but the big multinationals are in every corner of the world. It is not even about betting to win any more. People can bet on losing a game or, as Deputy Ward said, they can decide to change their bet halfway through a game. The companies need to be tackled as soon as possible.

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