Slot machines
A Waterford Councillor said problem gambling is a major concern for Waterford and the rest of Ireland, in the wake of recent reports that revealed troubling figures.
According to a report published by the Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI) last year, one-in-30 adults in Ireland suffer from problem gambling.
Gambling sites and premises play an aggravating role, according to the report: ‘The most common forms of gambling were lotteries and scratch cards, followed by betting on horses, greyhounds, and other sports.
‘Slot machines and casino gambling, particularly online, were more common among people with problem gambling.’
Councillor Cristíona Kiely (Greens) highlighted the issue at the recent Plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council.
“Problem gambling is a huge issue in Ireland and the lack of regulation and enforcement has resulted in a runaway train with little or no supports for victims of this hidden addiction or their families,” she said.
“The Gambling Regulation Bill 2022 is moving through the Oireachtas at the moment but I fear it will be paying catch up with an industry that’s been running rings around us for years,” she added.
Cllr Kiely went on to comment: “According to Revenue’s Register of Gaming Licences, from January 2024, a premises in Waterford City has no gaming licence so their doors shouldn’t even be open.”
Likening Tramore to the Las Vegas strip than a seaside promenade, Cllr Kiely said one premises is taking advantage of a cash machine on its door step with no planning permission.
“They also have a large screen advertising casino games which breaches the Advertising Standards Authority Guidelines for Gambling Advertising,” she said.
Approached later for comment, Cllr Kiely said: “I cannot find the planning permission.”
The Tramore councillor spoke on the danger of gambling impacting on children, with the increasing access of smartphones, and commented: “We can all remember visiting the amusements in Tramore or on holidays back in the 70s and 80s when most of the games were fun-based. Now the emphasis is more on gambling, which we’re normalising for children at a very young age.”
“It’s getting easier for them to gamble with the huge growth in online gambling
which they can now do from their phones,” she said.
“Some arcade games are a gateway into more serious gambling – something we must take very seriously as recent research has shown that almost a third of 16-year-old boys in Ireland reported gambling for money in the previous year,” she added.
The research indicated 28.2 per cent of boys compared to 17.9 per cent of girls, reported gambling for money.
“We have turned a blind eye to this area for long enough and we need to do everything in our powers to make sure that casinos, bookmakers, amusement arcades and all within the industry are operating within the law,” said Cllr Kiely.
In response to Cllr Kiely’s comments, Liam McCree from Waterford City & County Council’s Planning Department said: “The register of gaming licences is the responsibility of the Revenue Commissioners so compliance on that is a matter for them”.
“A premises not operating within current planning permission, we as the planning authority can certainly follow up on this,” he added.
The Planning Department has been reached for comment.