Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to deal with this legislation and I praise him for how personally invested he has been. It is a very significant piece of work, and I thank him for engaging. The number of contributions here reflects the very legitimate concerns in this House but also among the wider community. This has taken a long time to come into being. As the Minister of State will recall, I raised the fact with him before that, when Senator McDowell was Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform prior to the 2007 general election, he talked about setting up a similar gambling regulator. He might also recall that the Senator promised that the office of that gambling regulator would be based in Gorey. I know that some people are accused of making election promises on various issues from time to time. I am not going to ask the Minister of State to commit to locating the regulator in Gorey but it shows that we have been waiting since that time for legislation as comprehensive as this Bill to come into being. Like Senator Lombard, I believe it would useful if the Minister of State could indicate the timeframe in which he sees this legislation being enacted. I would hope to see it enacted before the summer.

Enjoying a good flutter is a perfectly legitimate activity, but a number of colleagues have spoken about the problem of addiction. This was really brought home to me over a decade ago when I happened to be in a bar with a number of friends. I was stunned at the number of people who were not watching the game but who were spending the whole time not betting on the outcome of the game, but on particular incidents happening within it. As people have said, your mobile phone has now become the new vehicle for betting. It is critical that the new regulator have the research function that has been spoken about to look at where gambling is going. It must be remembered that it is not just going to continue on in the mobile phone space. We are going to see the betting companies and others seek to exploit the metaverse and other digital spaces. The regulator has to be prepared to look at new digital environments in which these companies will seek to target new users. The new technologies out there will provide them with many opportunities.

As the Minister of State will be aware, it is also critical to note the difference in the regulation of the casinos, bookies' shops and so on that operate within our local communities. There is certainly a perception, which I would argue is a reality, that some forms of betting establishments and casinos are exempt from any form of regulation or rules while others adhere to everything, particularly the conditions laid down quite clearly by local authorities. The same licensing rules and strict requirements have to apply right across the board. People cannot be allowed to set up private clubs to get around some of the rules and regulations that are in place. I appreciate the history of allowing planning permission for some of these institutions but it is still important that local authorities have a role in determining where bookies' shops, casinos and so on may be built within any of our communities.Several colleagues have mentioned bingo, local club lotteries and such activities, and, dare I say, political parties' annual draws. All of these are important for the functioning of our communities but there has been some confusion. The Minister of State has tried to clear up a lot of it. Much of it has been spread deliberately by members of Sinn Féin to try to undermine this legislation. That misinformation does not help in the discussion of the legislation. The Minister of State has done a very good job in that regard. It is critical, not just in enacting this legislation, to have a communications exercise so local organisations, whether the GAA club, local family resource centre or local bingo, will have clear information on how it will operate. In virtually every case, there will be no impact on how these organisations' activities continue on the ground. For my sins, I have occasionally called the bingo in Gorey Little Theatre and therefore I am aware it is not only a very important fundraiser but also a very important social activity in the community. Several people have asked whether the new rules will have an impact on bingo, so a communications exercise is needed. I strongly support this Bill and commend the Minister of State on all the work he and his officials have done to bring it to this Stage.