Irish lawmakers have urged sports teams to avoid accepting sponsorships from the gambling industry.
Fine Gael Senator Joe O’Reilly said players spend as much as €10,000 (US$12,090) a minute in online gambling in Ireland, a country he says has a minimum of 29,000 addicts, according to The Irish Times. Bookmaker Paddy Power derives 77 percent of its profits from online gambling, he said. O’Reilly wants a €100 limit on all bets and that only debit cards are permitted.
Fianna Fáil Senator Shane Cassells said, “It might be enriching some sports bodies, but it is ruining the lives of their members and future generations because the firms know that’s where their target market is.”
The mobile phone is the weapon that gambling firms use to target addicts, Cassells said. “Through the work of their social media teams, they have hooked people with targeted ads and fed their addiction.”
Sports news on Sky Sports feature ads from casinos. Newspapers have banner ads.
“Gambling addiction ruins more than one life and people chase losses with more gambling,” O’Reilly said. “They suffer mood swings and depression. It leads to dishonest behavior in people who are otherwise.
In related news, the Gaelic Players Association began talks with broadcasters last year to limit betting ads during live games of football and hurling. The Gaelic Athletics Association has also asked for new regulations to control such ads. Both groups have introduced independent bans, but would like to see a national effort by legislators, according to SBC News.
“That’s something we still will be advocating strongly, in terms of banning advertising during the broadcast of live games,” remarked Jennifer Rogers, the GPA’s Player Welfare Manager, speaking to the Irish News. “It will be prioritized as soon as Covid-19 settles down again. We’re using every opportunity we can to impact change, but our predominant concern is looking after players and making sure the supports are there for them when they need them.”
The GPA pointed to a report by the Economic and Social Research Institute which indicated 80 percent of respondents believed that their teammates participated in gambling on a weekly or daily basis.
Colin Regan, the GAA’s Community and Health Manager, asked other sporting associations to join the effort to control gambling ads.
“It’s time for the government to properly tax the enormous amounts of money that the gambling industry is making off the back of Gaelic Games and direct it back into addiction services,” a former Leitrim GAA player said.
Gambling advertisements could receive increased attention later this year after the Dáil introduced new legislation for needed reform of the country’s gambling laws. In the wake of such calls, the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland asked for a ban on all gambling advertisements during games.
“We cannot continue to ignore the links between problem gambling and the current high volume of betting ads,” said Professor Colin O’Gara, an addictions psychiatrist.
