Oireachtas committee sought gambling ad ban that could hit sports broadcasts

An Oireachtas committee sought the proposed ban on gambling advertising that could hit live English Premiership Football broadcasts and other TV sport, the Department of Justice says.

Bookmakers have warned the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee and Minister of State, James Browne, that a provision of the Gambling Regulation Bill, 2022, could halt live sport broadcasts where betting ads are visible.

However, Ms McEntee’s department said on Wednesday that the provision, section 141 (1) of the Bill, is “consistent” with recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, which scrutinised proposals for the legislation last year.

The provision bans gambling advertising on TV, radio and “audio-visual media services” from 5.30am to 9.00pm.

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According to the Department of Justice, the law aims to protect children from “the widespread proliferation of gambling advertising across these forms of media”.

If passed, the law will allow the proposed Gambling Regulation Authority to set the times, places and events where betting can be advertised, as well as the frequency and duration of ads.

The Irish Bookmakers Association (IBA) warned the Minister in a letter that the section as currently drafted could prevent the broadcast of English Premiership Football games.

Betting companies’ promotions and bookmakers’ logos are frequently visible in stadiums and on players’ shirts during Premiership games.

While the IBA highlighted the English competition, which is widely followed in the Republic, industry figures say the ban could end up hitting broadcasts of race meetings such as Cheltenham and Aintree, where bookmakers’ ads are visible to viewers.