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Politician states that he doesn’t believe it would cost RTV £2M to remove all gambling ads from coverage in Ireland, as they claim.
Same politician quotes a figure of ‘130,000 problem gamblers’ in Ireland, but of course that figure is gospel truth, not open to debate, can’t be questioned.
Perhaps that old line should be modified to read ‘Lies, Damned Lies and Political Statements’.
The population of the Republic of Ireland is about 5 million. 130,000 means around 2.5% of the population of Ireland are problem gamblers. I find that a little difficult to believe.
When you exclude children and adults who do not have a bet, the figure of allegedly problem gamblers in the remaining population is even less credible.
You can probably add 1% to that taking into account people under 18 who make up about 26% of the population.
The things I want most in life are the things that I can't win.
A further response from Brian Kavanagh, Curragh manager.
Mr Kavanagh is of course correct although I am not so sure when he says “I don’t think it’s anyone’s intention to cause damage to the racing and breeding industries in Ireland”. Going by the Irish political class’s attitude to the agricultural sector, you could be forgiven for thinking that causing damage is exactly what it intends.
Browne looks and sounds typical of the new breed of Irish politician. His stupid comment about racing being too closely linked to betting could only have been made by someone with no understanding of the sport.
I notice he is yet another Irish politician who has inherited his seat in the Dail from his father.
Re the ‘problem gambler’ figure. Does anyone know how they defined the term?
For example some definitions of ‘binge drinking’ class you as one after a few pints of beer or a couple of large glasses of wine. Far from the image of someone skulling ten pints that the term invokes.
‘Political opinion, especially on the Left, is now very hostile to gambling, more so than it is to drinking. It is the one “vice” it has become OK to hate.’
In response to this, I would add that gambling is probably the only legal vice where the consumer pays no tax whatsoever on the product. Alcohol, tobacco and even sugar all attract varying rates of tax. I’m surprised they haven’t come after it for some sort of tax by now, it’s a low hanging fruit given that the (vast?) majority gamble either little or not at all.
Definitely agree about drug tests in the corridors of power though, politicians should sort their own house out first before getting too sanctimonious towards the rest of us.
I suppose the argument is the bookmakers in effect collect tax from the punter. The tax they pay is a proportion of losing bets, so the consumer is contributing to the revenue.
Looking for new things to tax reminded me of this:
Brilliant as ever.
I guess the other problem is that the tax is much more visible if taken in the old way of 10% of your stake. Everything else it’s just rolled into whatever price you pay. Punt a score and they immediately take another two quid off you. Nobody demands another 20p or whatever off you every time you buy a pint and they don’t stop going to the pub when pints go up 10p after a 1p duty rise.
talksport make me laugh, they are forever condemning gambling, yet have gambling adverts and always have some bloke on with the latest odds..
Blackbeard to conquer the World
Another day, another opinion on this matter.
Further discussion on this today – the Tanaiste (Deputy PM) was also interviewed on RTÉ Radio this morning in which he restated pretty much what was in the below article. Also discussed by RTÉ TV at the end of their Leopardstown programme today.
https://www.thejournal.ie/micheal-martin-gambling-bill-horse-racing-james-browne-6259175-Dec2023/
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