MLAs Triumph Over TDs In Gambling Awareness Match

A team of Northern Ireland MLAs has triumphed 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 join for The Big Step five-a-side tournament which was arranged to highlight the exposure of young people to gambling advertising in sport.


Philip McGuigan, Robbie Butler, Stephen Dunne 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 signed up with by players from The Big Step project, 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 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, said: "Everyone has a casino in their pocket through their mobile phones. It is more vital than ever that we highlight the risks of gambling advertising in soccer."


The Sinn Fein MLA, who has discussed his own problems with gambling dependency in the past, added: "The English Premier League is hugely popular here, and the gaming logos on shirts, stadium signboards and TV adverts are unrelenting.


"This needs to be significantly minimized to attend to 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 recent cross-border report by Maynooth University and Ulster University showed that young people across the island of Ireland are exposed to "very high levels of gambling marketing" through telecasted sports programs and social media material, much of which emanates from Great Britain.


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


Organisers said Northern Ireland is now the only jurisdiction amongst the UK and the Republic of Ireland without upgraded gaming legislation in the internet period.


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


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


Members of the APG have actually composed to Sport and Media Secretary Lisa Nandy to urgently introduce similar limitations on betting marketing.


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


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


On the subject of gaming, he said the APG was not a "prohibitionist" group but included it was necessary to highlight the risks associated with the practice, consisting of addiction, poverty, poor mental health and suicide.


The deputy leader of the UUP, who pulled a hamstring throughout a match, stated the APG wished to send a collective message to Westminster that gambling advertising was a "severe concern" to be dealt with.


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


Mr Feighan, the captain of the TDs, said the island of Ireland has "difficulties" with gaming.


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


Michael Carvill, president of Professional Football Players Northern Ireland, said: "We believe there ought to be a sensible decrease in gambling promo within the game to assist secure gamers, fans, and particularly young individuals from prospective damage."


One guy who had actually been personally affected by gambling dependency stated Friday's competition was a "great" effort.


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


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


"It was a very hard ten years for me, but sadly not simply for me - it affected many parts of my life and people in my life. My mental health was impacted too."


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


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