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MICHAEL* HAD HIS last bet in November 2008. He spent most of his 20s gambling, before he sought professional help.
Next week will be difficult for him: Cheltenham.
Michael said his addiction “completely wiped out any ambition” he had, with him missing many opportunities because he was “so engrossed in the gambling”.
Every year, he plans to go away somewhere if possible – to avoid the mass coverage of the horse-racing event.
“A lot of guys into horses go to a lot of meetings this time of year … I’ll get a meeting in at weekend.”
Michael said every recovering gambler has to be “on your feet, on your guard” around Cheltenham.
“It takes over bloody everything here. You can’t even watch the news.”
Michael has a serious issue with free bets in newspapers, saying they often start young people gambling and “might woo the odd guy back in”.
I’ve never seen anyone giving out vouchers for free drink or free sachets of coke in newspapers. How come they’re allowed to give out free bets?
Gerry Murphy agrees that free bets are like “giving free alcohol to an alcoholic”, noting that bookies and online gambling sites in have “very seductive ways of hooking in people”.
Gerry is a team leader at Bushy Park Addiction Treatment Centre, where the people seeking help are “getting younger and younger”. He agrees with Michael that this is a particularly hard time of year for gambling addicts.
“[Cheltenham is] revered really by the Irish media. All the races are on the news. Every work place is running a competition where you pick a horse. It’s a very difficult time.”
As an Irish race we love to gamble and we love a flutter … that okay’s for those who don’t have addictive tendencies.
Gerry encouraged anyone worried about the temptation of next week to “reduce the amount of stimulus that they have coming in” and “avoid triggers” if possible.
It can be a cause of relapse for people. It’s a very dangerous week for them
Gerry describes gambling as a “secret disease”.
He said you “can see the impact of alcoholism or drug addiction, but you could meet someone on the street who has lost their week’s wages and you can’t tell by looking at them”.
Gerry noted that by the time most gamblers seek help something “catastrophic” has happened such as a large amount of money being lost.
He said this causes “devastation” for many families as “the gambling has to be fed before anything else is”.
Bookies
Sharon Byrne from the Irish Bookmakers Association (IBA) said that all member have recently been sent fresh leaflets and posters with helplines to distribute in their shops during Cheltenham.
These direct people to Dunlewey Addiction Services, which provides support for gamblers and their families (Freefone 1800 936 725).
Byrne said the IBA holds about two training days a year to prepare bookmakers to deal with someone who has a gambling problem.
She noted that the safety of people working in bookies is also an area of concern.
It isn’t an easy thing to do to approach someone to say ‘I think you have a problem with gambling’. It could infuriate them.
Byrne said that free bets are “almost non-existent”, stating: “They certainly used to be very prominent in newspapers, but they aren’t as much now.”
She noted that the best deterrent for people worried about relapsing is to sign a self-exclusion form in bookies so they won’t be served.
A spokeswoman for Cheltenham told TheJournal.ie that they don’t work in the area of addiction as this is something individual bookmakers do.
However, she said the organisation works with the UK gambling commission on issues such as underage gambling at the festival.
British bookmakers are currently running an ad campaign called ‘When the fun stops. Stop.’
Do I need help?
For gamblers, the ‘Gamblers Anonymous 20 Questions’ is a helpful tool for self-evaluation:
If you have answered yes to seven or more of these questions, or your answers concern you, please contact Busy Park Addiction Treatment Centre in confidence on 065 684 0944 or at bushyparkhouse@clarecare.ie
For further information and support visit Gamblers Anonymous, GAM Anon or Dunlewey Addiction Services.
*Michael’s real name has been changed to protect his identity.
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Only About 50 years overdue.
Various types of ingredients for sale
I only wish they had banned it altogether and the Ballinasloe fair as well. It’s just cruel look where most of them poor horses end up. Starving on land that is not suited or them with people who really not give a s**t about them.
tesco??
Yes and you can get a bite to eat when you are there
I’m sure it would be a lovely day out with the family now!
it surly will boss
That’s it steam roll decades of tradition, it’ll b a joke and the market in any shape will cease to exist in any form within 6 months… The councils intent I’m sure….
Here’s hoping
Maybe what you say is somewhat true Paul, but the council had all the ammunition they needed to extinguish the fair after the two shootings and attack with a slash hook.
*effectively extinguish
Wasn’t only the Council who had the ammunition
The widespread maltreatment of the animals didn’t help the traders’ cause either.
200 years of tradition wiped out by DCC at the stroke of a pen. And all because some yuppies bought fancy apartments in Smithfield and didn’t want to share the square with the market once a month. Shame on the Councillors who voted to effectively end what was a fantastic day out for Irish people and tourists.
Fantastic day out for tourists ?? People attacking each other with slash hooks and shooting each other ??? Hardly normal behavior!!
Hope so
May be so Con. They could have ensured the law was rigorously enforced there first of all, rather than limiting a monthly fair to once every six months
I wonder how ferocious DCC would have been in bringing in these bye-laws if these were council flats in Tallaght or Clondalkin overlooking a square.
Con, this horse fair is a relatively new fad its not been around long enough to be regarded as a tradition. 200 years ago that part of Dublin was rural and what took place was a farmers market with all animals bought and sold. Are any of these people proper farmers, I wont bother with a question mark because I can make a very positive guess.
Dave, you don’t have to be a farmer to own a horse.
Graham, you can’t lose – there will be a book (anyway) written about the loss of a 200 year old tradition … or how Smithfield was modernized, in spite of culchies/farmers/travellers, kids from Finglas
Dario, the pen in the wrong hand is mightier than a kalishhnikov
@Con. You dont have to be a farmer but it helps. Helps the horse get raised in the right conditions. If there is a book about the loss of a ’200 year old tradition’ then that book will be B.S. People come to Dublin to live in a city and Smithfield is now central Dublin, do you not want Ireland to modernize?
Awaytafuk wi dem horses boss
Where’s the beef !
The Cobblestone hopes it’s a great success! For the past few years most pubs in Smithfield/Stoneybatter area would close during Horse Fair Day till about 5pm, hopefully this will mark a new era for all involved but mostly the Horses. Smithfield Horse Fair/DCC have put on a program of events including photography, talks & trad music from 9.30am http://dccartsoffice.newsweaver.ie/flyer/1h9ir8kot0d
Larry good. M a. N No. I TO Tacke. The. Lottttttttt. RAw Hide. Mn. Mn. Mr Bundey
Jack you do work
In the Knackerd
Smell box
In. The BogggggS
Clara
Glad for colm kiernan grand man and always looks after his horses
have your say