General election candidate for Mayo, Rose Conway Walsh TD, has welcomed the passage of the Gambling Bill, adding that the final bill represented a victory for Mayo charities and sporting bodies

The Sinn Féin TD said her party ‘pressure forced’ the government to U-turn wording in the bill that would have prevented sports clubs and charitable organisations raising necessary funds.

Teachta Conway Walsh said: “We supported the passage of the bill in its final form, having forced the government to amend its position on charitable and sporting fundraising.

“The original wording would have been disastrous for sports clubs and charities across Mayo as it conflated fundraising with gambling, which would have cost such organisations thousands of euros in necessary fundraising,” she added.

She described the bill as ‘a victory’ for Mayo charities and sporting organisations, but said ‘the reality is [they] shouldn’t have had to drag the government to that position’.

“It is now crucial that this bill is accompanied by funding for addiction services and awareness campaigns and supports that are free of industry influence,” she continued.

The Sinn Féin general election candidate acknowledged the ‘importance’ of  ‘regulated trade in preventing the involvement of organised crime and grey market operators.

“Now that the legislation required for the new Gambling Regulatory Authority has passed, it is time for the Authority to get on with its work, and for efforts to combat gambling addiction to be redoubled,” she concluded.