MLAs Triumph Over TDs In Gambling Awareness Match

A team of Northern Ireland MLAs has actually triumphed over deputies from the Republic's Dail in a football match to raise awareness about gambling-related damage.


The TDs and MLAs were signed up with by football, rugby and GAA players to unify for The Big Step five-a-side tournament which was arranged to highlight the direct exposure of youths to gambling advertising in sport.


Philip McGuigan, Robbie Butler, and previous gaelic footballer Justin McNulty were among MLAs representing the Assembly while TDs Aidan Farrelly, Ruairi O Murchu, Darren O'Rourke and Frankie Feighan lined out on behalf of the Oireachtas.


They were joined by gamers from The Big Step campaign, the Professional Footballers Associations for Northern Ireland and Ireland, the Gaelic Players Association and Rugby Players Ireland.


UUP MLA Robbie Butler, Sinn Fein TD Darren O ´ Rourke, DUP MLA Stephen Dunne, Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan, SDLP MLA Justin McNulty, Sinn Fein TD Joanna Byrne, Sinn Fein MLA Philip McGuigan, Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan (front row) Cool FM chief press reporter James Gould, Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly, Finn McGrath from the All Party Group Secretariat, and Sinn Fein TD Ruairi O Murchu (Liam McBurney/PA)


The event was likewise supported by the Northern Ireland Assembly's All Party Group (APG) on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling.


Mr McGuigan, chairman of the APG on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling, stated: "Everyone has a gambling establishment in their pocket through their mobile phones. It is more crucial than ever that we highlight the dangers of betting marketing in soccer."


The Sinn Fein MLA, who has actually spoken about his own issues with gambling dependency in the past, included: "The English Premier League is extremely popular here, and the gaming logos on shirts, stadium billboards and TV adverts are relentless.


"This requires to be considerably minimized to resolve the public health gambling epidemic we presently deal with."


Finn McGrath (centre left) from All Party Group Secretariat in action against Sinn Fein TD Ruairi O Murchu (centre right) (Liam McBurney/PA)


A current cross-border report by Maynooth University and Ulster University showed that youths throughout the island of Ireland are exposed to "very high levels of gambling marketing" through telecasted sports programs and social networks material, much of which originates from Great Britain.


The Big Step is a campaign run by Gambling With Lives to end all betting advertising and sponsorship in football.


Organisers stated Northern Ireland is now the only jurisdiction amongst the UK and the Republic of Ireland without upgraded betting legislation in the web era.


Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan (left) in action versus SDLP MLA Justin McNulty (Liam McBurney/PA)


They note how legislation was introduced in 2015 to establish a gambling regulative authority in the Republic of Ireland and enforce rigorous controls on gambling advertising, including a broadcasting watershed.


Members of the APG have written to Sport and Media Secretary Lisa Nandy to urgently present similar restrictions on gaming marketing.


Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Butler celebrated the MLA team's 6-1 success over the TDs.


Sinn Fein MLA Philip McGuigan shoots during the match (Liam McBurney/PA)


On the subject of gaming, he said the APG was not a "prohibitionist" group but added it was necessary to highlight the threats connected with the practice, including dependency, hardship, bad psychological health and suicide.


The deputy leader of the UUP, who pulled a hamstring during a match, stated the APG wished to send out a collective message to Westminster that betting advertising was a "major problem" to be dealt with.


"Gambling is among those addicting matters we need to see much better legislation around," he said.


Mr Feighan, the captain of the TDs, said the island of Ireland has "challenges" with betting.


The Fine Gael TD stated that while he bets "a bit" himself, there was a requirement to do more to secure people "from the scourge of betting".


Michael Carvill, chief executive of Professional Football Players Northern Ireland, stated: "We believe there need to be a practical reduction in gambling promotion within the game to assist protect gamers, fans, and especially youths from potential harm."


One guy who had been personally impacted by gambling dependency said Friday's competition was a "fantastic" effort.


Declan Cregan, a training and engagement officer for Chapter One, said his love of sport had been ruined by gambling in the past.


After starting off with a ₤ 1 bet at the age of 16, he said "things extremely quickly got a hell of a lot worse" to the point his last bet 10 years later was for ₤ 4,500.


"It was a really tough ten years for me, however regrettably not just for me - it impacted a lot of parts of my life and people in my life. My mental health was affected as well."


Mr Cregan, who now works with a body targeted at lowering the damage of betting in society, stated: "Sport would be a much more secure place if gambling marketing was tossed out."


He said he would support a "blanket ban" on gambling marketing similar to the watershed in the Republic of Ireland.