YFG President, Eoghan Gallagher commented that, “The blanket measures Minister Browne wants to introduce will do very little to help problems gamblers while leading to the demise of horse racing channels in Ireland. I support looking at measures which will help people who have problems with gambling as I have seen the harm it can cause. However introducing measures that will do nothing to help while putting thousands of jobs and millions of euros to the Irish rural economy at risk is definitely something I can not support. The Minister needs to engage with thoroughbred industry leaders to find solutions which help problem gamblers while not risking thousands of horse jobs in the process”.
Chair of Rathdown YFG and founder & CEO of Equine MediRecord, who works in Thoroughbred industry, Pierce Dargan also added that “The intention of helping people who have issues with gambling is of course something I support. However introducing measures that will not help those who have issues with gambling while putting thousands of jobs in the horse industry in jeopardy doesn’t make any sense. Minister Browne needs to engage with the thoroughbred industry to help ensure thousands of people’s livelihoods are not put in great jeopardy to achieve little in helping people with problems with gambling”.