GAA have banned all sponsorship from betting companies

It’s a great move, my dad was involved in managing a local under 16 and 18 team a few years ago and he said after most training sessions and matches you would have lads asking about the score in the Barcelona/Liverpool/Bayern Munich etc. match that had been going on as they had a bet on it. I’ve been gambling since I was about 16 and I would have been I’m the minority of my friends in relation to this. Now it seems the complete opposite about teens. I step in the right direction from the gaa

Well done GAA

What about the banks as well. They gave people ridiculous amounts of money which they never had a hope of paying back which resulted in lots of despair for people.

I know a few people involved in the sport at a club level and they all say that gambling is the number one biggest personal problem effecting people in their clubs. Apparently it's endemic for whatever reason and some clubs have even put support structures in place for members with a gambling problem.

Personally I hate gambling, it's the worst addiction. You can only take so many drugs, you can only drink so much before you physically can't or it kills you, but you can gamble everything you have and then go into debt and gamble what you don't without limit, it's an utterly destructive addiction that's largely viewed as harmless and thus often invisible and under discussed compared with other addiction problems, but no less impacting on many lives.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I suppose it makes sense that gambling is the number 1 problem in the GAA. If you're a junkie or alcoholic then the chances are you're not fit to tog out for athletic performance but you can be young, fit and healthy and still have a serious gambling problem.
Then there's the simple fact that if you play a sport it goes without saying that you're invested in sport, somebody like me that has no interest in sports is pretty unlikely to bet on it as I've no investment in where Manchester United place in the league or how many goals they might score, but somebody involved and invested in sport might be more tempted to bet on it.

I think it's a positive that the GAA are taking a stance on an issue effecting it's members.

Good news and done for the right reasons.

It’s great that the sky deal will be ended as a result of this move.

https://m.skybet.com/

Theres way too much Gambling adverts over in the UK, just look at any live Premier League match offering live odds on the next scorer.

Fair play to the GAA for the ban but they get loads of money from the Government and Sky.

Why bite the hand that feed you, small minded as usual GAA

ismat wrote: »

Do people think that banning the likes of paddy power from sponsoring a gaa team will stop people gambling? If people want to have a bet they will whether or not some betting company’s name is on a jersey. Would you not be better to take as much sponsorship as possible from whatever company is willing to give it and use the money for the overall good of the sport

It's not about stopping people gambling, it's about not taking money from an industry that you feel is harming your members, which would be hypocritical. You can't say, there's a problem with gambling in our clubs and it's harming our members, but we're happy to take money from an industry that is harming our members. It's about a principle and being an example of that principle.

Patww79 wrote: »

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I welcome the GAA's decision however there are a few things that they'd need to square up also to keep the message standard across the board.
Nearly every club in the country relys on a weekly lotto for income. Hard to have the moral high ground when that is ongoing.

As for your suggestion that this is about eejits without self control.
I have major issues with gambling advertising, particularily in, on or during premierleague or soccer matches in general on TV. It makes brand awareness and acceptability of gambling as "normal" past-time more evident amongst the youngest in society.

While things aren't perfect in the GAA, I do welcome this banning of gambling sponsorship and one has to give them some kudos for that.