Racecourse Media Group (RMG) CEO Martin Stevenson told the Irish Times August 31 that a proposed Irish ban on betting advertising could threaten the viability of broadcasting races and the racing industry.
Ireland is currently updating its gambling laws, which date back to 1956, 1931 and 1929.
Stevenson was speaking specifically about Racing TV, which the group operates and added that such a ban would “likely mean that it isn’t viable to continue broadcasting in Ireland.”
Racing TV holds media rights to all 26 of the country’s racetracks and 35 in the U.K. It distributes feeds to paid subscribers and to pubs and hotels, among other businesses.
The Times quoted the CEO as saying that betting ad bans would force the media group to move its Irish coverage to a different channel. It would also increase costs to broadcast the races, leading to reduced TV coverage and reduced public interest. This would impact businesses such as pubs and taverns.
Stevenson added, “TV coverage is the lifeblood for any sport and the damage that the loss of these channels in Ireland might cause the successful Irish racing industry is of real concern.”
The Gambling Regulation Bill before the Dáil Éireann, Ireland’s lower house, has been endorsed by the cabinet, and is in its fourth stage of enactment.
It would, among other things, create the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) and Social Impact Fund (SIF) and a self-exclusion registry.
However, some reformists and elected officials are urging greater ad restrictions than the bill calls for. Senator Mark Wall previously declared, “The gambling industry has worked hard to create a strong link in our minds between major sports events and betting.”
The senator added, “Problem gambling is a behavioral addiction which is what these ads feed off. These ads are pushing people to gamble and there are no controls in place to protect those who are vulnerable to addiction.”
