James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 28:

In page 55, line 12, to delete "the betting activity is" and substitute "the betting activity is pool betting that is".

With this series of amendments to the Bill, I am introducing a change for the benefit and protection of charitable and philanthropic licensees. As published, the Bill provides that the holder of a gambling licence for a charitable or philanthropic purpose may provide gaming, betting or lotteries for the purposes of fund-raising. Following consideration of this approach, it was identified that there may be considerable financial risks for a charitable or philanthropic licensee to be able to offer the full range of betting activities permissible under the Bill. This opens the possibility for a charitable or philanthropic organisation to, in effect, act as a bookmaker and possibly incur serious financial losses. Depending on their ability to operate in such markets and the outcome of the events they took bets on would not be advisable and could potentially place charities and other good causes in difficulty. In this context, I propose to amend the Bill to restrict such licensees to offering and operating less risky gambling activities, such as lotteries, gaming and pool betting, such as a traditional race night, for example, for the purposes of fund-raising. Amendments Nos. 97 and 98 replace the references to betting for charitable and philanthropic licensees with references to pool betting in Schedule 2 of the Bill.

In summary, charitable and philanthropic licensees will not be able to offer the full range of bookmaker-style activities, only pool betting activities. This amendment will minimise the financial risk for those licensees and ensure that they can only operate such activities with the moneys paid by the participants. I am subject to correction but I have never come across any charity or sports club doing that anyway.

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