Gambling legislation
Deputy Murphy raised the harms of gambling advertising and addiction, and asked when the promised gambling Bill would come before the House. The Tánaiste said it was a priority, was being worked on by the Minister of State, and might be split into separate parts.
Next week, the Cheltenham festival will start and we will have wall-to-wall coverage. Advertising by gambling companies will seek to have people place bets with them. Approximately €5 billion is gambled every year in Ireland and there are approximately 40,000 problem gamblers.
The Rutland Centre has indicated that it has seen a large rise in the number of people seeking treatment for gambling addiction. There has been a major growth in gaming and gambling apps on the Internet. This area has expanded to young people and women, in other words, beyond the traditional demographic.
When will we see the gambling control Bill proceed? The heads were first published in 2013. The purpose is to regulate these companies and the advertising that preys on people.
Comment on this
The Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, has taken responsibility for the gambling legislation. He is hoping to prioritise it over the next couple of months. He has been meeting the various stakeholders. He is considering certain elements of the legislation that might be brought forward separately because the planned gambling control Bill is rather large. However, I will ask the Minister of State to contact Deputy Murphy directly to give him an outline of the work being undertaken. It is a priority for him and he has been focusing on it.