The president of Ireland has weighed in on the country’s longstanding attempts to reform its gambling laws, calling for a ban on the advertising of sports betting.
Responding in a recent radio interview to a spate of high-profile gambling scandals that have beset Irish hurling, President Michael Higgins said he is “very concerned about gambling” in sports.
“If I had my way, I wouldn’t have advertising or any access to gambling platforms in sport at all.”
He went on, “There is no one being heavy about it. What you can do is through education, obviously, through the school systems. But you can’t do everything through education. For too long in Ireland we often ignore problems that are staring us in the face.”
Ireland’s presidency is largely a ceremonial post, its powers limited to advising the government. But statements from the office do carry weight with politicians, especially in the case of Higgins, who is facing an election in the fall.
The government, meanwhile, has struggled with gaming reform. A comprehensive Gambling Control Bill has yet to drafted by the Department of Justice, five years after the then-government gave it conceptual approval. The bill includes potential restrictions on broadcast advertising.
In light of which, observers say Higgins’ comments will likely be seen by the industry as a wake-up call following Italy’s recent decision to ban all broadcast ads promoting gambling.
