Sports betting has been legal in Ireland for centuries. The laws around it are currently being covered in the betting act 2015.

Among many things, this act states that online bookmakers that are taking bets from Irish players are required to have a license from the Irish Revenue Commissioner. This is a regulatory body that is expected to be replaced by a full-fledged gambling authority sometime in 2022.

The purpose of these regulatory bodies is to ensure the Irish government benefits from the bookmakers and to protect its residents from things such as false or excessive advertising. When the new gambling authority launches, sports betting sites will be required to follow certain rules and procedures, which in addition to those mentioned, may include the following:

While the new regulatory body is being introduced to combat an increasing number of young residents that end up with a gambling addiction, there are people who believe a total ban on sports betting would be for the better. But what exactly would happen if a full ban was enforced in a country where betting is such widespread past time? Let’s discuss!

Problem Gamblers May Decrease

According to a publication made by the Health Research Board in Ireland in February this year, the country suffers from 12,000 problem gamblers. Additionally, 90,000 more are considered to experience a moderate level of difficulties from their gambling habits.

If sports betting is banned in Ireland, we may or may not see a decrease in problem gamblers. You might think that a ban would be certain to lead to a reduction, but the matter is not as black and white.

If a ban on sports betting only means a ban on companies offering the service, this would not necessarily limit the accessibility to betting as there would still be plenty of options available. There would not be any physical betting shops in Ireland and there would not be any online bookies operating from within the country. Even if they existed underground, they would be easy for the police to crack down on.

However, these days, there are hundreds of online bookmakers operating in jurisdictions such as Curacao where Irish laws do not apply. Furthermore, the licensing entity in Curacao is not required to, and as far as we know, would not care to control if its bookmakers abide by the laws in Ireland.

Thus, we may not see a reduction in the number of people betting if a ban is introduced, but only a shift in the platform people is using to bet on. Hence, problem gambling would remain as much of an issue.

We believe, the only way the number of people betting would noticeably decrease is if individuals were penalized for their betting. But even then, it is questionable how big the reduction would be.

Parallels can be drawn to drug use where Portugal is a perfect example. In 2001, they decriminalized all drugs. If the logic is that harsher laws lead to a decreased usage and softer laws to an increase, the country would see a spike in users. However, according to a research report from 2007, this connection has not been as clear, showing that heroin usage went down, while cannabis usage went up.

Players Would Be Less Protected

With the current legal landscape and the way Ireland is heading with its new gambling authority, the government can put strict regulations on bookmakers that protect players.

For instance, requiring players to set deposit limits, training operators to pay notice to problematic betting patterns and controlling how the companies market themselves. All of which could reduce problem gambling. Not to mention, ensuring that players are paid their winnings no matter what.

However, if sports betting is banned, this regulation would go away. Only unlicensed bookmakers and those with a questionable license from jurisdictions such as Curacao would remain. These bookmakers are either not regulated at all or don’t have as stringent regulation as that of the Irish government. Thus, they would not offer the same level of protection, putting players at a greater risk.

Of course, even with sports betting being legal, these inferior bookies remain. However, via information and by controlling the flow of marketing within the country, the regulator body can steer players in the right direction. In other words, have them bet with the trusted bookmakers that are licensed in Ireland.

Fewer Tax Profits and More Costs

With the current regulation, Irish bookmakers are required to pay tax in Ireland. Furthermore, it is proposed that the new gambling authority will require sports betting sites to contribute to a “Social Impact Fund”. In other words, the government is making money off the bookies which can be used to help problem gamblers and benefit the country in other ways.

However, if a ban is enforced, all this money would go away. Online bookies that are situated in jurisdictions such as Curacao do not pay tax in Ireland. So, if the problem gamblers would remain the same, we would have the same issues without the funds to combat them or help those in need.

Furthermore, if individuals would be penalized for their gambling as suggested before, this would be an additional cost to society. How would we keep track of people betting? It sounds to us like a huge project that would require a lot of money to fund.

Of course, one could argue that this cost would be covered by the fines bettors have to pay. But then the question arises, exactly how big should these fines be and if they are really big, what is worse? Having people betting with some becoming addicted and spending too much, or, having people betting with some having to pay enormous fines?

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

McCusker and Greene Advance to Semi-Finals in Rome

Max McCusker got Ireland’s European Championships campaign off to a flying start in Rome this morning progressing in the 50m Butterfly, while Darragh Greene advances in the 100m Breaststroke.

Irish 50m Butterfly Record holder McCusker was just off his best time of 23.44 touching fifth in his heat in 23.61 and progresses in 14^th place overall.

Greene, swimming his first international meet since the Tokyo Olympics, clocked 1:01.75 for third in his heat and will go into this evening’s semi-final in eighth place.

Fresh from Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last week, Danielle Hill and Victoria Catterson both competed in heat four of the 100m Freestyle where the duo touched in 56.39 seconds for 22^nd overall.

Sundays Wells’ Liam Custer and Trojans Grace Hodgins both made their senior international debuts this morning, the pair had already competed at the European Junior Championships earlier this Summer. Custer, swimming the 400m Individual Medley was home in 4:31.43, while Hodgins won her 800m Freestyle heat in 8:57.87.

Also competing this morning, Brendan Hyland was just a tenth of a second off his best time in the 50m Butterfly in 24.19, his main event coming later in the week. And Eoin Corby clocked 1:01.47 in the 100m Breaststroke Heats.

Day 1 Results

Men 50m Butterfly                          Max McCusker                 23.61 (14^th)

                                                                Brendan Hyland                24.19 (  38^th)

Women 100m Freestyle                 Danielle Hill                         56.39 (22^nd)

                                                                Victoria Catterson            56.39 (22^nd)

Men 400m IM                                    Liam Custer                        4:31.43 (19^th)

Men 100m Breaststroke               Darragh Greene                 1:01.75 (10^th)

                                                                Eoin Corby                          1:01.47 (24^th)

Women 800m Freestyle                 Grace Hodgins                   8:57.87 (19^th)

Day 1 Schedule

Men 50m Butterfly                          Max McCusker  5pm (IRL)

Men 100m Breaststroke               Darragh Greene 5.35pm (IRL)

You’ll often find that people in the past used to have fun routines and exciting weekends. Now, people are more and more bored, not interested in anything. They care less not only about themselves but also others around them.
The trend of online casinos
As people are staying indoors more, casinos have also jumped on this and are offering online services left and right. Whatever you think about them, you will need to admit they are pretty handy and comfortable to play right from home. People in the past, of course, were also stuck in a routine once in a while, but on average, it’s way less than people nowadays. There may be arguments that playing casino can help you prevent burnout from work.
Live casinos

An easy and fun way to spice up your life is by trying out a casino or betting. People have been betting and gambling ever since the early 17th century. However, it is easy to be sceptical and say casinos are a waste of time. But in reality this is mostly the media industry bashing on another industry. Now, a trend out there is Live casinos. These are webcam-based online casinos. They are very interesting. You can try live casino here to see what it is.
Have fun with friends or people in your household
Also socially, you can really level up your connections through something like a casino. The beauty of online casinos is that you can play anywhere, any time and with anyone. It really creates those long-lasting memories for you and friends.

Even playing with strangers at a casino is something worth trying. Since most people have a basic understanding of casinos, you should be able to play it with strangers without much explanation. Also on another aspect, it gives you a common ground to engage in a conversation. For many, this can really be a game-changing avenue for socializing.

People often debate whether fishing is a real sport or not. Given that it requires skills, practice and knowledge to do well, it’s easy to see why more people than ever before are convinced that it could be the next big pro sport to take off in Ireland.

Source: Pixabay

Easy to Take Part In

Finding somewhere to go fishing in Ireland isn’t particularly difficult, since the country is filled with rivers and lakes where a great variety of fish can be found. The relatively low requirement for equipment means that just about anyone can start fishing without a lot of expense or delay.

There are more fishing and angling competitions around Ireland than you might think. For example, the Lough Muckno July Festival recently took place over five days, and the field of just 13 anglers showed us that there’s scope for more people taking part in events like this.

The NCFFI is the name of the body that organises events and competitions here, including the All Ireland Cup. The NCFFI All Ireland Championships usually take place on the Sunday before the August bank holiday weekend, and this event has a history stretching back more than six decades.

As for the best places to fish in the country, those taking part in the sport are spoiled for choice. This list suggests that the Great Western Loughs are best for finding wild trout in a magnificent natural setting, while the excellent variety of coastal fishing spots means that virtually nowhere is far from a good destination.

Source: Pixabay

Fishing in Popular Culture

The presence of fishing in popular culture is another factor that suggests that fishing could become a bigger sport than it currently is. Movies about fishing include A River Runs Through It, which was directed by Robert Redford and gave Brad Pitt his first major leading role. It’s a gentle, subtle film that uses fishing as a metaphor for the way that life throws up surprises time after time.

We can also see fishing-based slot games in a new online casino, where Big Bass Bonanza and several spin-off titles can be played. Fishin’ for Gold and Alaskan Fishing are among the other slots, which are divided into categories such as jackpots, Megaways and recent releases. This is one of the many different slot themes that are now popular, with others letting players search for treasure in different parts of the world.

Fishing has also become more prominent on TV in the last few years, with the American series Bassmasters probably the best example. Fishing TV is a digital platform that gives access to fishing-related on-demand content on devices such as smartphones. It has channels like the Carp Channel and the Fly Fishing Channel, and although it might not yet be mainstream the fact that it even exists as a subscription service suggests that the appeal of fishing is growing.

All of these factors show us that fishing has a great deal of potential as a sport in the near future, but there will always be people who simply enjoy it as a hobby instead of fishing on a competitive basis.