Longer opening hours for betting shops would be bad for families

Longer opening hours for betting shops would be bad for families, says addiction campaigner
NIAMH GRIFFIN

INTRODUCING ONLINE gambling to betting shops and increasing opening hours as sought by bookmakers would have negative consequences for families, according to an addiction campaigner.

The director of the Toranfield House addiction centre, Miriam Finnegan, said job creation in the industry must be balanced against the effects of compulsive gambling.

The betting shop industry is appealing to the Government for increased opening hours – until 9.30pm, six nights a week – from September to April. At present bookies can only stay open late on Fridays during the winter. They also want to increase revenues through in-house access to online betting on iPad-style tablets.

“There are a lot of people struggling – people will take risks and try to win a few bob,” Ms Finnegan said. “Since the recession, gambling is more of a problem. People could pick up a job to pay their debts , but now some of them don’t have the means to pay.”

Research on the Irish situation is not available, but Ms Finnegan said British studies have found 75 per cent of problem gamblers bet online, so anything that introduces such gambling to a new market was worrying, she said.

“For a lot of people betting isn’t an addiction – but there are others who go out to the shops to normalise their betting,” Ms Finnegan said.

Some 101 betting shops closed last year, according to the Irish Bookmakers’ Association. However, leading chains say footfall in high street shops is holding up and in some cases growing.

While punters in Paddy Power shops were spending less on each wager – down 9 per cent to €17 in the 218 shops – they were betting more frequently, the company’s head of communications said.

“The Irish betting shop market is five times bigger than the online market,” Paddy Power said. “Most of our online customers are in the UK or America.”

Leon Blanche of Boylesports said 70 per cent of that company’s Irish turnover came from shops in 2011. It has increased its number of outlets from 142 to 174 over the past 12 months. “The amount of slips per shop is on the rise but the stake placed has fallen,” said Mr Blanche, saying the average bet was now €19.

“It’s the sense of a community that draws people in,” he added, “ things like being able to enjoy premium events on paid-for channels like Sky Sports.”

Ladbrokes has five more shops now than in 2010, starting the year with 213 despite some “consolidation” last year, according to spokeswoman Hayley O’Connor. She said the social element of betting helped keep the shops open, adding the amount placed on each bet had increased slightly to €15.

Chairwoman of the Irish Bookmakers’ Association Sharon Byrne said changes to the laws were needed as smaller bookies were losing out to the chains. “The bigger shops can afford to carry on. As the shops close, the money can spread and will help to keep the others viable,” she said, adding the majority of closures were independents, leaving “roughly 1,100” shops open.

Aside from promoting new betting products, various shops in Dublin offer free tea or coffee, biscuits and even soup to entice punters. “There’s a decent atmosphere even in the recession,” Mr Power said. “But one stereotype is true. The breakdown is probably 90-95 per cent men.”

There is anecdotal evidence of bookmakers’ shops being used as a social outlet by some people who have become unemployed and have no workplace to go to.

Spokeswoman for the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed Brid O’Brien said: “I could see the attraction of sitting in a shop for social interaction. If people are coming and going in a busy shop, it might not be noticeable you are there all day,” she said. “If people are using the shops like this, it highlights the need for increased services.”