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THE GAA HAS voted to ban sponsorship deals with gambling companies.
At the GAA’s annual congress in Croke Park today, delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of the motion, which was forwarded by Connacht GAA’s Mick Rock. He said sport today is “besieged by gambling” and that implementing a sponsorship ban would protect the integrity of Gaelic games.
Speaking to The42.ie this week, addiction counsellor Alan Martin from the Cuan Mhuire treatment centre in Galway said gambling has become “more intrinsic within the GAA”. Former Armagh footballer Oisín McConville and Galway hurler Davy Glennon are among those to have spoken about the time they spent in Cuan Mhuire on their road to recovery.
“What I discovered more and more is that these lads are looking for a high and a buzz from the sports field,” Martin said. “They lead a healthy life and when they come off the sports field, they’re kind of left feeling a bit somewhat empty and they’re looking for some buzz or that chase and it might be a small gamble that might start them off.
“And it builds up over the years.”
Today Alan Kerins from the Gaelic Players Association, speaking ahead of the vote, also said the GPA was “strongly supportive” of the motion.
“Gambling is a huge concern for the inter-county player at the moment. 77 players presented for counselling services this year, and over half of those were for gambling specific issue,” he told delegates.
“We would like to commend the GAA on taking this leadership step for society as a whole. We would urge everyone to support this motion.”
The motion to prohibit sponsorship of any GAA competition, team, player gear or facility by a betting company was passed with 93% of delegates voting in favour of it.
A separate motion proposing to remove a rule which allows a sponsor’s brand name to be displayed on jackets, tops, jerseys, and kit-bags of match officials was also passed.
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Fair play to them
Well done GAA
@Jamie Smith: do my eyes doth deceive me?!
@Joe Kennedy: credit where credits due Joey. Normal service will resume shortly
@Jamie Smith: haha…..ah damn!! You on your way down for the game tonight?!
@Joe Kennedy: nah not today big Joey, a day of rugby on tv at home his a more appealing maybe next time when they’re at home…..
@Jamie Smith: ah very good. Enjoy the old egg chasing so!!
@Joe Kennedy: will do Joey enjoy your bog ball
Best decision the GAA made in a long time.
Fair play, proper order. Addiction to gambling is ruining many lives.
@Jointheclubtoo: Indeed. The GAA have faced a lot of criticism over the years but this is an excellent decision and should be applauded.
Congratulations to the GAA for being the leading sport to do this. Gambling is a scourge on the young people of Ireland and we have heard horror stories about how this has affected families across the country. This is a positive step and I hope many other sports join in as they did with tobacco advertising way back when !
@John Clare: indeed good news. The tv betting ads are terrible at the moment, they should be banned too
Let’s raise a glass to that
@Féach News: Done
Good decision, the question now though is what constitutes gambling? Can Cuala still have a sponsorship deal with a stockbroker?
@Sean Mannion: that’s an excellent question sir?
@Sean Mannion: good question. Does this mean all the Club Lottos are now to be banned too? It’s a huge money spinner in some clubs. What about the Monday night bingo nights?
Very surprised , it appears everyone doesnt have a price , well done gaa
It’s an awful pity that they will now have to end their long association with the National Lottery and all the funds that different projects have got from it over the years.
@Noel O’Gorman: The Lottery isn’t gambling nor going to the races. It’s part of our culture boss…
@Noel O’Gorman: I thought most of those projects were already dropped now that the National Lottery is privately managed.
@Noel O’Gorman: why would it?? Yes lotto is a form of gambling…. but its the bookies, casinos etc are the problem. Do boommakers etc give grants etc to local clubs and communities?? In terms of addiction lotto isnt a main problem… the main problem for people is bookies casinos and nowadays omline is getring worse and worse. If bookmakers and other gambling institutions were offering grants etc i would prob agree with u
If ur going to gamble u will gamble,
@John Ryan: nonsense, you think gambling company’s advertise for the laugh? They advertise to get more people gambling, to normalise the activity.
It’s a plague on this country and others and it ruins lives and families
@Barry Somers: So did dozens of RCC employees….
@John Ryan:
So why to gambling companies spend so much on advertising and how come the amount of people gambling is rising ?
@Nick Allen: Did it stop people from drinking Guinness when they stopped the Guinness sponsorship in the hurling did there sales drop..? No it didn’t…..there is no one twisting ur arm to gamble, drink or what ever some people are easily led.
@John Ryan: that’s the thing though…bit by bit…little drip of money…..gets bigger and your fucced…..its a big issue…open your eyes man
As if these bans – on gambling ads, bags, jackets, jerseys etc. – are going to make any difference to anything! Closed income streams curtailing the games’ development abroad – something the GAA has failed miserably to manage for decades.
@Bruce Miller: what??
@Joe Kennedy: Awful hard to get a game of Gaelic football here in Marseille….
@Bruce Miller: Awful hard to get frog’s in Dublin too.
@Joey Navinski: frog’s legs :)
@Joey Navinski: frogs*….easy enough to get a game of rugby or soccer though…
@Bruce Miller: yeah there’d be a big market for Gaelic Games in the south of France alright I’m sure!! What are the GAA thinking?!!
@Joey Navinski: Frogs legs are actually from Indonesia, which was a French colony. Very cruel as well.
@Joe Kennedy: Fair enough – but these great games never exported anywhere, and are only played here and by a few emigrants. Pity there’s no European championship/league or something. When you leave Ireland for work, you really have to stop playing.
@Bruce Miller: that’s fair enough too….it’s a pity alright but I just don’t see how it’s ever going to be international really.
Fair play. Others should follow suit. Very poor form to see in play betting ads flashing up before and during live televised games in other sports
Fantastic news….hope other sports follow suit….i feel sick to my stomach when I see betting adds during half time…normally famous people asking who’s going to score next…have a quick bet on their smart phone…people are getting hooked bit by bit and could cause massive issues down the line…..i think this needs to be nipped in the bud as fast as possible…
Strange one from a purely money oriented organisation…. Pity money wasn’t an issue when losing 1/4 final games of the national sports to Sky…
http://www.universityobserver.ie/sport/head-to-head-should-the-gaa-stick-with-sky-sports/
Check out the link, for and against..
Have a read and make up your mind as to question their repulse at money from betting companies…
@Willy Malone: so, then, not a purely money oriented organisation?
@Willy Malone: “purely money orientated organisation.” Do you know where the money goes Willy? About 80% filters down to counties and clubs. If u want to see the games covered by Sky, but don’t have Sky, why don’t you go to them?
@Insider at RTE: Your missing my point. 1/10 of people watching games now. That will inevitablly have an effect on players coming through. Game will die slowly for short term gain. Maybe this is an olive branch…
Brilliant!!! At least the GAS stays too their roots one of few sports not to sell out
Good…I see this happening across all sports in the next couple of years….
Very well done to the GAA. Once again they have shown the way forward. I hope though other sponsors can be found. Slán
Excellent
Proper order, most enjoy a bet..but havin it flashed across the screens at every opportunity is a joke
Great move from the GAA… I’d love to see soccer follow but I won’t hold my breath. I think the England national team have done the same but it is entrenched deep throughout the game https://yardofgrass.com/2017/06/16/yog-no-25-gambling-is-destroying-football/
Well done GAA
Delighted for them, betting companies are a scourge.
I think too many people take too much notice of adds and sponsership. I will still drink and bet no matter. If say “vodafone” sponser them i wIll not decide to switch to them. Do you know what I mean like?
Hmmm an “amateur” organization refusing money!!!! Something doesn’t add up!!!!
About f***king time
Fair play to the GAA they banned drink sponsors a few years ago as well.
Hopefully the soccer and Rugby do the same
Wouldn’t it be far more appropriate for the GAA to end sponsorship deals with companies that sell alcohol. Gambling Is without doubt a serious problem for some but surely alcohol abuse is far more more pervasive and doing more damage.
A few more replays to make up any shortfall… they’ll be grand.
Go hiontach Beidh níos lú tionchar ag na comhlachtaí sin
Will alcohol be next oh righteous GAA? Doubt it
@Leroy: Do keep up.
@John Ryan: you havent a clue about addiction do you??
professional soccer betting tips Very nice information you have updated here , i am biggest fan of your site.
It always amazes me that sports teams are not allowed to bet but clubs are allowed use gambling coys as sponsors
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