The Government should consider tougher curbs against gambling advertising as the public faces an “avalanche” of adverts heading into this year’s Cheltenham horse racing festival, a Labour senator has said.
Mark Wall made the comments as the festival gets under way on Tuesday and after Belgium took the step last week to announce a blanket ban on gambling advertising in the country.
“There’s a tsunami of gambling adverts, particularly in the last few weeks,” said Mr Wall. “It’s not getting better and with Cheltenham, it’s getting worse.
“What the bookies have done is created a strong link between sport and gambling. We need to let people enjoy sport the way it was intended to be. Gambling ads are doing the damage and they have to go.”
Bookmakers have been ramping up their advertising activities in recent weeks ahead of the four-day Cheltenham festival, and this looks set to be the last time it will take place before the Government’s long-awaited reforms are introduced.
Under the proposed curbs on the gambling industry, there would be a prohibition on the broadcast of gambling advertising on TV and radio between the hours of 5.30am and 9pm.
It would also give Ireland’s first gambling regulator the power to prescribe the times, places, and events where gambling advertising can be broadcast, displayed, or published.
However, Mr Wall said that 9pm is “prime-time viewing” and that problem gamblers could still be bombarded with adverts that can do damage.
It comes after the Belgian government last week announced plans to ban gambling advertising across TV, radio, newspapers, and online.
The country’s justice minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said that his government was “deeply concerned” about the impact of the huge amounts of gambling advertising targeted at the public.
“And for those who want to get rid of their gambling addiction, the tsunami of gambling advertising is an additional problem,” he said.
The ban is due to take effect from July 1, with further curbs on gambling advertising in sports grounds and sponsoring sports teams in the future.
© Provided by Irish Examiner Mark Wall: ‘I know of one man who was on the verge of gambling €1,000 in savings that he couldn’t afford to lose. He’d been through it and come out the far side, but had been influenced by adverts.’ File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Mark Wall: ‘I know of one man who was on the verge of gambling €1,000 in savings that he couldn’t afford to lose. He’d been through it and come out the far side, but had been influenced by adverts.’ File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Mr Wall said Ireland should follow Belgium’s lead in this regard. Two years ago, he introduced a bill that would ban all gambling adverts.
“This is a public health issue,” he said. “And the minister [of state, James Browne] to his credit has recognised this as well. I know of one man who was on the verge of gambling €1,000 in savings that he couldn’t afford to lose. He’d been through it and come out the far side, but had been influenced by adverts.
We need to protect those that may be vulnerable. And just give everyone a breather.
The Government’s Gambling Regulation Bill is currently making its way through the Oireachtas and is at committee stage.
Anne Marie Caulfield was appointed to the role of chief executive-designate of the Gambling Regulatory Authority last September, and the Government has said work is ongoing to ensure that the regulator can hit the ground running when the legislation passes through the Dáil.
Mr Browne previously told the Dáil that it is hoped the bill will be signed into law and come into force by mid-2023, “with the intention of establishing the authority later” in the year.
However, he said a “phased commencement” will be necessary given the complexities of the new laws.