James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Senator that gambling addiction is not very different in some ways from other addictions. It is not about winning money; it is about people trying to self-medicate, get a sense of self-worth or whatever the case may be. If a gambling addict wins €10 million today, they will gamble every penny of it away again because it is nothing to do with actual money. It is an addiction that is quite difficult to address because it can very often be hidden. Not to diminish alcohol addiction, for example, but in gambling addiction, you can gamble away your home and everything you have in a few minutes. It is difficult. Often before a loved one knows a person has any issue at all, the sheriff, a member of An Garda Síochána or a letter arrives home from the bank, seeking to repossess a house. It leaves people who have never been in trouble with the law to do very stupid and criminal things, unfortunately, to feed that addiction.

I hear the Senator and I know where she is coming from. The regulator can make codes of practice but also, importantly, the regulator, when implementing the Act, has a duty to keep an eye on relevant games and relevant developments within the gambling industry, and seek further powers from the Minister in situations where the regulator feels they need additional powers to address any kind of issue. They develop codes of practice that will be binding and tied to the licence.

The powers for the regulator come from a public health perspective. With regard to the issues the Senator raised, if the regulator believes any further powers can address those, including any attempts at developing gambling addiction, they can do so through codes of practices or seeking additional powers. There can be no inducements under this regulation. That kind of targeting of individuals has to stop under this legislation. It is not allowed. We know the kinds of attempts by many gambling companies to try to get people gambling again. Gambling companies have moved away from the high-rollers to the broader public to try to make more and more of their profits.

I am satisfied there are sufficient powers in this legislation. If the regulator feels there is not, it can seek those additional powers to be given to it, in most cases by way of statutory instrument. Therefore, I cannot accept the Senator's amendment.