MLAs Triumph Over TDs In Gambling Awareness Match

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


The TDs and MLAs were joined by football, rugby and GAA players to unify for The Big Step five-a-side competition which was organised to highlight the exposure of youths to betting advertising in sport.


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


They were signed up with 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 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 also 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 smart devices. It is more crucial than ever that we highlight the risks of gambling advertising in soccer."


The Sinn Fein MLA, who has actually discussed his own issues with betting dependency in the past, added: "The English Premier League is extremely popular here, and the gaming logo designs on t-shirts, arena billboards and TV adverts are ruthless.


"This needs to be substantially lowered to deal with the public health gaming epidemic we currently face."


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


A current cross-border report by Maynooth University and Ulster University showed that young individuals across the island of Ireland are exposed to "exceptionally high levels of betting marketing" through televised sports programs and social networks content, much of which emanates from Great Britain.


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


Organisers said Northern Ireland is now the only jurisdiction amongst the UK and the Republic of Ireland without updated gambling legislation in the web age.


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


They keep in mind how legislation was presented last year to develop a betting regulative authority in the Republic of Ireland and impose stringent controls on betting advertising, including a broadcasting watershed.


Members of the APG have composed to Sport and Media Secretary Lisa Nandy to urgently introduce comparable constraints on betting marketing.


Speaking with the PA news firm, Mr Butler celebrated the MLA group's 6-1 success over the TDs.


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


On the subject of gambling, he stated the APG was not a "prohibitionist" group but added it was very important to highlight the risks related to the practice, consisting of dependency, hardship, bad mental health and suicide.


The deputy leader of the UUP, who pulled a hamstring throughout a match, said the APG wanted to send out a collective message to Westminster that gambling marketing was a "severe problem" to be dealt with.


"Gambling is among those addictive matters we need to see better legislation around," he stated.


Mr Feighan, the captain of the TDs, stated the island of Ireland has "difficulties" with gambling.


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


Michael Carvill, president of Professional Football Players Northern Ireland, said: "We think there need to be a sensible reduction in gambling promotion within the game to help safeguard players, fans, and especially youths from potential harm."


One male who had actually been personally affected by betting addiction stated Friday's tournament was a "fantastic" initiative.


Declan Cregan, a training and engagement officer for Chapter One, stated his love of sport had been messed up by betting in the past.


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


"It was a really hard 10 years for me, however sadly not just for me - it affected numerous parts of my life and people in my life. My mental health was affected as well."


Mr Cregan, who now deals with a body targeted at reducing the harm of gambling in society, said: "Sport would be a much safer location if gambling marketing was tossed out."


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