Wise move.
The GAA Congress has voted to ban all sponsorship by betting companies. Motion 1, which reads exactly as “sponsorship by a betting company of any competition, team, playing gear or facility is prohibited,” was passed with 93% of delegates voting in favour.
In addition, the Congress also passed Motion 3, which read as “sponsors names no longer allowed on clothing and gear of match officials.” 72% of delegates voted in favour of Motion 3, with 28% against.
Speaking in support of Motion 1, former Galway hurler Alan Kerins, speaking on behalf of the Gaelic Players Association’ said:
“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.
“We would like to commend the GAA on taking this leadershp step for society as a whole. We would urge everyone to support this motion.”
The passing of the motions in relating to betting will be seen as a step in the right direction by Gaelic footballers and hurlers who have struggled with gambling addictions, including former Armagh footballer Oisín McConville, who this week called for an outright ban on Gaelic players betting on football and hurling.
It was also a hot topic on The GAA Hour football show on Thursday, with host Colm Parkinson commending the GAA for being ‘proactive’ and making the right decision.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction and they’re ahead of the curve. You see in the Premier League, loads of teams are sponsored by betting companies and all around the advertising hoarding, you can see things like bet365 and so on. Gambling is a very serious problem with young people in the country and it’s good to see the GAA taking a lead on that.”
