APG Briefing on YouGaMSI report: “Code Red: Young People and their Exposure to Gambling Marketing through Media and Live Sport on the island of Ireland”
Date: Tuesday 8 October 2024
Time: 1:00pm
Location: Committee Room 21, Parliament Buildings
Chairperson: Philip McGuigan MLA
Minutes taken by: Finn McGrath, Chambré
Members Present
· Danny Donnelly MLA
· Paul Frew MLA
· David Honeyford MLA
· William Irwin MLA
· Philip McGuigan MLA
Apologies
· Robbie Butler MLA
· Nick Mathison MLA
· Paula Bradshaw MLA
· Diane Forsythe MLA
· Stephen Dunne MLA
· Eóin Tennyson MLA
· Sinéad Ennis MLA
· Justin McNulty MLA
Minutes
1. Welcome
Philip McGuigan MLA welcomed members to the meeting.
2. Minutes of last meeting
Members agreed that the minutes of the last meeting (4 June) were a true and accurate representation of that meeting. This was proposed by Philip McGuigan and seconded by Danny Donnelly.
3. Matters arising
There were several matters arising from the APG’s last meeting. These were that:
· Members table a cross party private members’ motion on the inquiry report.
· The Secretariat develop a prioritised series of actions to advocate for recommendations in the public inquiry report on public approaches to tackling gambling related harms.
4. Briefing on report on youth exposure to gambling marketing in through sport
Prof Aphra Kerr of Maynooth University and Dr Paul Kitchin of Ulster University briefed members on their new report, 'Code Red: Young People and their Exposure to Gambling Marketing through Media and Live Sport on the island of Ireland’. The report, published on Friday 4 October, looked at how gambling companies market their product through sport to young people.
Prof Kerr and Dr Kitchin then answered questions from the APG members.
- Danny Donnelly MLA asked for further details on other companies using gambling language in marketing material. Prof Kerr said that they had seen one example of a food company using a gambling-related slogan (“bet on us”) by a food company. She suggested that this is contributing to the saturation of some sports broadcasts and the normalisation of gambling in sports.
- David Honeyford MLA asked about the policy recommendation on requiring sporting organisations that receive government funding to eliminate gambling marketing. Dr Kitchin said that this was an area where the government has leverage and can use it effectively. On the issue of whether this was feasible, he referenced the elimination of tobacco advertising from sports, which was long seen as unachievable.
- Philip McGuigan MLA asked how best to use the report’s findings to influence policy. Dr Kitchin said that this report added to evidence base here in Northern Ireland, where previous policy relied on evidence from other jurisdictions. He noted that improving education and media literacy were easy steps that could be taken to reduce harm related to gambling, which could definitely be informed by the report. He also took the opportunity to note that regulation is not just about targeting gambling operators, because media companies and sporting organisations are complicit in that they are making money off of gambling marketing.
5. Next Steps
The Chair proposed the following actions:
· That the APG invite the Department for Communities to present and take questions on the initial Gambling Code of Practice recently published for consultation.
· That the APG invite those on the observer mailing list to provide us with their feedback on the initial Code, before the secretariat prepares a draft consultation submission for consideration.
· That the secretariat develop a programme of advocacy activity designed to support the APG as it works in partnership with the Executive and others to deliver outcomes that can potentially be achieved without legislation in the remainder of this mandate.
· That the secretariat develop and help deliver an APG-led communications plan that explains to the public, media and elected representatives why preventing and addressing gambling harms matters to our society and why we all need to champion gambling reform.
Paul Frew MLA recommended that the APG write to the Minister for Health in relation to recognising gambling as a public health as a public health issue in the upcoming Public Health Bill, if there is sufficient scope within the Bill. He also suggested that the APG consider tabling amendments to the Bill.
6. AOB
None
7. Next Meeting
The Chair informed the members present that the next meeting date would be in November, when officials from the Social Policy Unit of the Department for Communities are available to present on the initial Gambling Code of Practice.