Browne and McDowell clash over Gambling Regulation Bill

There were sharp exchanges in the Seanad tonight over the Gambling Regulation Bill, between Minister of State at the Department of Justice James Browne and the former minister for justice Michael McDowell.

Senator McDowell said it was crazy that the Government was allowing, under the legislation, to allow gambling companies to offer inducements and get people involved in gambling.

He said he knew the strategies which the gambling industry deployed to get people to make bets and it was shameful for the Coalition to enable them.

In reply, Minister Browne accused the Senator of making some outrageous claims, suggesting that people in the Government had been bought and paid for by the gambling industry.

He said the legislation would ban inducements to individuals, but it struck a balance by allowing the gambling companies engage in general promotion.

The Minister said the Senator was making untrue, shrill allegations about his good name and those of his officials.

Senator McDowell replied that he was not making any allegations against the officials.

Independent Senator Lynn Ruane said the Coalition needed to recognise that the gambling industry was different to any other, and allowing promotions ignores the harm that gambling does.

Labour Senator Mark Wall said 130,000 people experienced gambling addition in Ireland and allowing things like free bets could act as a trigger. He argued both inducements and promotions should be banned.

The Committee stage debate on the Gambling Regulation Bill was guillotined by a vote of 17 in favour with five against.

The bill returns to the Seanad on Tuesday before going to the Dáil for final consideration.