Irish Districts Take Action to Restrict Gambling, Rescinding Part 3 of 1956 Gaming and Lotteries Act
The Greystones District Council is preparing to vote at the end of February to rescind Part 3 of the 1956 Gaming and Lotteries Act, led by Councillor Lourda Scott of the Green Party. Councillors Stephen Stokes, Derek Mitchell, and Mark Barry also support the action, giving the #BetAgainstCasino campaign a majority of councillors in favour of prohibiting the issuing of new licenses or the annual renewal of slot machines and casino licenses in Greystones. This move is not unprecedented, as Cork County Council members voted unanimously in 2012 to rescind Part 3 of the Gaming and Lotteries Act to prevent casino businesses from being opened in Carrigaline. This came after a private company's application to locate a casino in the town centre was met with objections from local residents. Rescinding the law immediately prohibited any further applications to the courts for gaming licenses.
In addition to Carrigaline, several other districts and towns in Ireland have rescinded the Gaming and Lotteries Act to prevent the opening of casinos or the renewal of gaming licenses. In 2019, Galway City Council voted to oppose the granting of a new casino license in the city, citing concerns over gambling addiction and the negative impact on local businesses. In 2017, Dublin City Council passed a motion calling on the government to prohibit the establishment of any new casinos in the city. In 2015, the town of Fermoy in County Cork also voted to rescind the Gaming and Lotteries Act, effectively preventing the opening of a proposed casino in the town. These actions demonstrate a growing concern among local councils and communities about the potential negative effects of gambling on individuals and society. In addition, in 2018, Athlone Municipal District Council voted to rescind the Act to prohibit the opening of a casino in the town
In addition to Dublin City Council, which passed a motion in 2017 calling for a prohibition on new casinos in the city, both South Dublin County Council and Fingal County Council passed similar motions in 2018. These actions reflect a broader trend in Ireland of increasing concern over the potential social and economic costs of gambling and the desire to regulate the industry more tightly.
Donegal is now experiencing an influx of slot machines, and this is causing concern among local citizens. The surge in the number of slot machines in the area is due to the more liberal approach to gambling in the Republic of Ireland compared to Northern Ireland, where gambling is more strictly regulated. People from Northern Ireland are traveling to Donegal to gamble on slot machines due to the limited opportunities for gambling in licensed premises in their home country. While gambling is legal and regulated in Northern Ireland, there are fewer opportunities for individuals to gamble in licensed premises than in the Republic. In Northern Ireland, betting shops, amusement arcades, and bingo halls are the only licensed premises where gambling is permitted, and the number of gaming machines is limited to four per premises. It is important for other towns and districts in the Republic of Ireland to consider the potential risks associated with gambling and to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect citizens from the negative consequences of excessive or problem gambling.