This was always coming… and the industry and its stakeholders, in its complacency, let it.

The Gambling Regulation Bill is about to be signed into law, and while there’s a lot of talk about its impact on racing, the reality is that we brought this on ourselves. The bookies, racing authorities, and the sport as a whole have been too focused on short-term gains… so many people are worried about Longevity especially when you see what happened in Singapore October 5th… it might even be said that we have been turning a blind eye to the bigger issues that were bubbling beneath the surface. It has been clear to see, and it has been crystal clear for 12-18 months or more…

Here is the title of an article in the Irish Times last October. October 23!! “Gambling giant warns proposed regulations could ‘legislate horse racing out of existence”.

This was always going to be part of the pre-election run. It was always going to have “influence” pre election. It was always going to happen. The Irish Field and in particular, the Racing Post have given it a ton of coverage. A ton. I have enjoyed reading some of those pieces.

Let’s face it… we’ve been too reliant on the money flowing in from the bookmakers… we’ve held multiple livestreams with people from right across racing where this has been mentioned or brought up… We could have seen the writing on the wall years ago. If we had any real foresight, if we really wanted to support those affected and actually change the optics and positioning on gambling regulation bill or the reason it’s needed… we would have launched a meaningful social impact fund or multiple specific and focused social impact funds to address gambling addiction both online and at the bookmakers long before the government forced our hand.

Why wasn’t there a bigger push for education around responsible gambling? Yes, there are ads or even some campaigns… yes, we see it or hear it on TV ad-breaks at the end of a cracking promo piece by a bookmakers for one of the big festivals – “Gamble Responsibly” but we all know that is not going to create the kind of change that was and is needed…. I am a marketer, a media entrepreneur, I literally design these campaigns for a living… the kind of change, impact and focus that would have negated The Gambling Regulation Bill becoming a thing… had to be fan centric… Why weren’t we producing mini series, docu series, fan based content, ai driven content, strong social profiles that focused on gambling responsibly. That is how you now influence people, the wider public and the powers that be… on socials and through engaging content.

Every stat shows that… just look below!!

1. 74% of consumers say there is a direct link between watching a video on social media and purchasing a product.
2. 70% of internet users who use social media for shopping recommend the brands they buy from.
3. 87% of UK consumers say social media reviews influence their purchasing decisions.
4. 70% of Irish and UK consumers have recommended a brand to a friend after discovering it through social media content.

Read the stats again; You influence people through social, through fan centric.

We get told a lot “you have to move slower in this industry” and “change doesn’t happen fast”… well sometimes it has to, especially in the era we live in… sometimes when you move too slow you’ve missed the chance to get out ahead of a big problem everyone can see is coming… this was one of those times.

Instead, what we’ve got now is a bill that includes a ban on gambling ads between 5:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.—essentially cutting off a huge part of racing’s main advertising window. It also bans inducements from bookies—no more ‘free bets’ or incentives to gamble. On top of that, the bill introduces a new Gambling Regulatory Authority, with a budget of €9.1 million for 2025 to start enforcing these new rules.

Gambling is part of the racing experience, no question about that. People who can afford it will always enjoy a flutter. But it’s those who can’t afford it, yet are still drawn into betting, that should’ve been our concern all along. And as an industry, we missed that chance to be tangibly proactive. Instead, we got greedy… waiting until it was too late, and now here we are, watching as this legislation rolls through and reshapes the sport.

What we now need to talk more about is how this will hurt the fan experience. You ban gambling ads; in theory, you dilute the promotion of racing itself. It could mean Less exposure, less engagement… Look at what’s happening in the UK, it’s the same story.

There has to be a way, a pathway forward. One that moves fast enough so its manageable and scalable but has an instant impact with fan engagement and the optics around racing. One that is about real progression at a pace that is needed with the evolution of tech taking place.

This bill will hit hard, no doubt about it… but it’s not the bill itself that’s the real issue. It’s the fact that we, as an industry, didn’t see it coming—or worse, we saw it and just hoped it wouldn’t come to this. If we want to support those who need it whilst restricting the effect of The Gambling Regulation Bill, it is time to focus on the fans. It is time to think bigger and move faster on the changes needed for the fan experience online and at the tracks.

It is something I and we are thinking about a lot. There has to be a better way to do this.

Until Next Time,

Shane