Leading trainer Barry Connell fears 'Armageddon situation' as a result of controversial Gambling Bill

Leading trainer Barry Connell has implored regulators to introduce an exemption for racing channels in the impending Gambling Regulation Bill and has said a distinction must be made between "games of skill" and games of "pure chance" such as the National Lottery.

Connell, who also owns one of the most exciting horses in training in last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Marine Nationale, believes the introduction of the proposed watershed that prevents gambling advertising between 5.30am and 9pm would do "serious damage" to the industry.

He said: "You can see where the legislation is coming from in terms of protecting vulnerable and young people from being overexposed to gambling advertising. I think what hopefully can happen, like in other jurisdictions such as Australia, some accommodation can be found for racing which is primarily shown on subscription channels. 

"You're only going to watch Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing if you're a racing fan. You're not going to stumble on to it by accident and it's not like it's turning up on terrestrial television.

"The biggest thing in all of this is that there's a very important distinction to be made between games of skill and these casino games where, in my view, more harm is done. Everyone knows racing is tied in strongly with the breeding industry in Ireland which is world-class and provides massive amounts of employment."

Connell added: "If we were to go down the Armageddon situation where racing was to disappear off our screens, it becomes a major issue in terms of people being able to follow the sport. Very often, people who own horses can't get to the races and it's very important that they can be able to watch their horses running. 

"If that option wasn't there, you would see a dramatic drop off in ownership and that has a huge knock-on effect for the industry and also tax take for the government."

Marine Nationale storms home in last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle at CheltenhamCredit: GROSSICK RACING

Connell said elderly fans of the sport, who cannot always travel to the track, will be among those who would lose out the most should the bill be introduced in its current form, and the fact it does not apply to the National Lottery is contradictory.

"There's a big cohort of elderly people that derive huge enjoyment out of the sport," said Connell. "It gives them an outlet but they can't necessarily get to the races all the time. For my own father, it was a big thing for him when he was alive as he'd go down to the bookies and place a few bets and watch the racing at home. It would be a major loss if the pictures were no longer available for them.

"The elephant in the room is the National Lottery. It is advertised at prime time every day and there's a huge spin for the Euromillions and scratch cards. It's state-sponsored and that's one of the biggest forms of gambling in the country. That's on terrestrial television every day with all these ads of people sitting in their office on the beach in the Caribbean.

"That's causing a lot more harm than people placing a Yankee on the races every weekend. If they want to do something about gambling, they should stop the lottery being advertised or make it subject to the same rules they are purporting to introduce in the bill.

"You see people going into shops and buying €50 worth of scratch cards and that's a pure game of chance. If they can't accommodate racing, they are going to target people going into a bookies and placing a few bets before coming home to enjoy watching the sport which is purely recreational."

The Gambling Regulation Bill has been in the report stage in Dail Eireann (lower house of the Irish parliament) since July 12 and amendments arising out of the committee stage are being considered. It will then progress through the final stage in the Dail before going through a similar process in the Seanad (upper house) prior to being signed into law by the president.

Read these next:

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'We can't let that happen, we have to find a solution' - HRI chief speaks out about possible loss of pictures 

'There will be a big black market boom' - Willie Mullins opens up about the Gambling Regulation Bill 

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