The threat of racing being removed from television screens in Ireland continues to loom large after the minister of state at the department of justice, James Browne, said he is hopeful the legislation will be enacted "in the coming weeks".

The Gambling Regulation Bill legislates for a ban on gambling advertising between 5.30am and 9pm, which Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing have warned would make it unviable for them to continue broadcasting in Ireland.

The bill completed the legislative process in Dail Eireann (lower house) earlier this year and has been at committee stage in the Seanad (upper house) since May 14. It has three more stages to negotiate in the Seanad before being signed into law by the president.

The Seanad is set to return from summer recess on Tuesday, with the bill scheduled to undergo the committee stage the following day, when it will be examined and amendments may be submitted. There have been suggestions the bill may be delayed due to an impending general election in Ireland, which Taoiseach Simon Harris has refused to rule out happening before the end of the year, but Browne is anxious to move it forward.

Several senators called on Browne to consider an exemption for subscription-based racing channels when the bill passed second stage in the Seanad in May and they will have a final opportunity to push forward amendments on Wednesday.

Racing's Concerns Unheeded

When the bill was passing through the Dail, few TDs reflected racing's concerns, with only independent TD Mattie McGrath speaking in support of the industry during the report stage. However, senators such as Fianna Fail's Timmy Dooley, independent TD Sharon Keogan and Fine Gael's Garret Ahearn implored the minister to introduce amendments to safeguard the broadcasting of racing in Ireland.

Browne's Stance Remains Firm

But Browne remained steadfast in his intention to finalise the bill with no exemption for racing channels, arguing: "If we were to give two TV stations a monopoly on gambling advertising into the country, it would not survive under competition law. This would give them an extraordinary monopoly providing enormous financial worth to those companies.

"It is completely untrue that there is any kind of technical impediment from them showing different advertisements in two different states. It does not stand up to any kind of scrutiny. In fact, TV stations now have the software to show two people in two houses beside each other different ads at the same time. Therefore, there is no technical difficulty there."

Racing Channels' Plight

Sky Sports and Racing TV have previously warned that new legislation against gambling adverts could render the channels 'economically unviable'. Alarm bells first started ringing in July last year when the two dedicated racing channels threatened to pull all coverage. This was in response to a Gambling Regulation Bill which proposed to ban all gambling ads on TV between 5.30am and 9pm.

Sky Sports Racing's former boss Matthew Imi railed against the proposed measures last year, stating: "Uniquely, as compared to other sports, horse racing and betting go hand in hand. A significant amount of advertising on our specialist horse racing channel and, indeed, on competitor racing channels, is betting-related.

"If this proposed watershed ban on gambling advertising goes ahead as drafted, it could have a devastating impact on such dedicated horse racing channels. It’s our view that such a ban may render Sky Sports Racing economically unviable in Ireland if the option for bookmaker advertising and sponsorship support is no longer open to us."

While outgoing Racecourse Media Group CEO Martin Stevenson said at the time: "There would be substantial economic and operational challenges in ceasing to carry gambling advertising, sponsorships, and branding on Racing TV. It is likely to mean that it ceases to be viable to continue broadcasting in Ireland."

The Bill's Objective

The aim of the bill is to protect vulnerable people and children from gambling-associated harm. However, Sky Sports Racing say 97 per cent of its viewership is over 24 and the channel is 'aimed at adults and not at children or young people'.

Potential Impact on Fans

If the bill is not changed or concessions are not made for racing channels then punters could be starved of seeing some of the sport's biggest names in action. Willie Mullins was crowned champion jumps trainer in Britain and Ireland last season and is readying his big guns for the start of the new National Hunt season. The biggest trainer in the game runs his best horses in Ireland before shipping them over to Britain for the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals.

Racing's Future Uncertain

The potential removal of racing from Irish television screens would be a significant blow to the sport in the country. It would not only deprive fans of their access to the sport but also have a negative impact on the industry as a whole. The future of racing in Ireland is uncertain, but it is clear that the government's Gambling Regulation Bill is a major threat to the sport's survival on television.

While the minister of state at the department of justice, James Browne, is optimistic that the bill will be enacted in the coming weeks, there is still hope that the legislation will be amended to safeguard racing channels. If not, the Irish racing industry will be forced to adapt to a new reality, one where the sport is no longer readily accessible to fans via their television screens.