Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is apt that I follow my colleague Senator Joe O'Reilly in noting all the work and all the contributions made by him, Senator Wall and me. At the very start of the term of this Seanad, four and a half years ago during the Covid pandemic, the three of us attended many online meetings with gambling support groups pressing for this legislation.It is to his credit that the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, has stayed the course in compiling such detailed and very much-needed legislation. I commend the Minister of State on ensuring its passage and making sure it got to this stage. I hope we see it passed and brought into law because the pressing need for it is greater now than ever. All of the research that has been produced states those who suffer from addictions grossly understate the reality, and that is not just here but in the UK and the United States. Only last week, it was actually indicated in reports that were published and covered in the newspapers the impact of advertising on the young people of the country and the fact they now accept it as a norm in watching sport. What a very sad society where young people see the proliferation of gambling advertising as now being part of the norm of watching sporting activity. Why? Because that proliferation has been allowed to fester and grow, in particular in the sport of soccer, and it is very regrettable and sad.

What is even more regrettable has been the conduct of some Members in both Houses acting as lobbyists for the industry in trying to water down the legislation that the Minister of State has brought in, and in trying to cajole and coerce their colleagues in putting in amendments to water it down. Shame on those Members. I ask them to come to some of the gambling addiction meetings where I see people lose everything, not just money but family, businesses and homes. People in these Houses are trying to say that it is only a bit of fun and a bit of sport, and trying to accuse the Minister of State and those of us who would advocate for reform and the need for legislation as being a nanny state. Far from it. As I keep saying, it is a worse addiction than drugs, alcohol or anything. When I see the size of the amendment booklet, it nearly fills me with despair but I know the Minister of State, in making sure this will ensure its passage through, will have stayed the course. I welcome any robust debate we have in these Houses to make sure that what the Minister of State puts through does not have unintended consequences and that makes sure we are not impeding those who can gamble responsibly and enjoy it. I have said before that I am the worst punter in Ireland and that is my choice if I wish to put a bet on, but the manner in which an industry that has not been reformed in decades has been able to use new media tools to target susceptible people is just wrong.

What was even worse were the threats then made by those in the horse racing industry in particular to say the industry would collapse if the Minister of State's legislation went through the Houses. Anything but. Of course, this was the threat made by those who control TV and whose income is dependent on the money of gambling companies. If HRI has found itself with a business model that is completely supported by gambling money, that is its problem. It should put more effort into making sure those people came through the turnstile rather than sitting on bar stools putting money on horse racing. There is no one against the sport of horse racing but I question those who have found themselves in hock to gambling companies that now fund them. That is a sad state of affairs. It was sad to see many other sports follow suit as well.

I look forward to this debate tonight and tomorrow as we go through the amendments, and I pay tribute to those Members who did not bend the knee to those who phoned or emailed them to do so. I pay tribute to the Minister of State for standing resolutely against some of the nonsense that was spoken about.

I also wish to make a point, and I say this as someone who has worked a long time in the media industry. It was pitiful to see some of the tabloid newspapers in this country use their front pages to say that the horse racing industry could collapse because of this legislation. They did it because they too are in hock to the advertising money of the bookies, which funds them because their business model is broken too. The multibillion euro gambling industry is now the oxygen machine for so many things profiting off the backs of those susceptible people. It was wrong. The media can be well done coming in here saying when we are wrong but I am saying to those tabloid newspapers that ran those front pages, shame on you. You have no scruples - none. You did it because you are in hock to the bookies for their advertising money and the racing supplements, and that needs to be called out as well. I look forward to the rest of the debate, and well done to the Minister of State.