HRI hits back after minister criticises decision to enter new media rights contract in Gambling Bill row

Horse Racing Ireland has hit back at junior minister James Browne after he criticised its decision to pen a €47 milllion media rights deal for the sport, saying the contract was negotiated "long after the Dail had set out its intentions" about supporting a controversial advertising ban.

The lucrative deal with Racecourse Media Group and Sports Information Services was confirmed in May, with five of the country's 26 tracks belatedly signing up to the offer a month later. This ensured all live coverage of Irish racing would continue to be broadcast on Racing TV until 2029.

In an interview on RTE Radio 1's Morning Ireland on Thursday, Browne, who is minister of state in the Department of Justice and responsible for drafting the Gambling Regulation Bill legislation, condemned HRI for completing the deal when it was clear the impending bill was to introduce a gambling advertising ban between 5.30am and 9pm. Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing have stated that the bill will render the broadcasting of their channels "economically unviable" in Ireland.

Browne said: "I don't accept that [Irish racing will lose coverage], that's certainly the message that has been attempted to put out there by some people in the industry but the legislation is crafted in such a way that anything you can see regarding horseracing on live television, you will be able to see after this legislation passes. It is only the hard advertising in between races that is being banned.

"The contract that is being referred to that puts at risk, if you like, the showing of horseracing was entered into last May by HRI long after the stated government policy and long after the Dail had set out its intentions in relation to supporting this advertising ban. So I’m kind of surprised that the contract was entered into in the face of government policy but there is certainly no reason and no inhibition from showing horseracing as it is today, only hard advertising."

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) chief executive Suzanne Eade rebutted the minister's assertion by clarifying that the sales process began 12 months prior to the contract being signed, while the preferred bidder status was awarded in October 2022 before the threat became apparent.

Eade said: "Minister Browne and his officials have previously been made aware that the only options available for Irish racing were both UK-based companies – Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing – and therefore two media companies already operating under a different set of gambling regulation than is being proposed in Ireland.

Barry Connell: has questioned logic of proposed advertising banCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

"Furthermore, the minister and his officials were made aware that while the contract was signed in May 2023, the sales process begun in early 2022, with the preferred bidder status assigned in October of 2022. Today’s ESRI research is further evidence of the need for gambling regulation in Ireland and HRI is very supportive of the bill’s aims. We are continuing to engage with the minister and his officials on the remaining aspects of concern in the bill for the racing industry."

Professor Pete Lunn of the Economic and Social Research Institute [ESRI] appeared on the radio show prior to Browne to discuss a new study carried out by the institute which demonstrated that state-sponsored forms of gambling such as the National Lottery and scratch cards were seen to be more associated with problem gambling than initially thought.

Both broadcaster and former politician Ivan Yates and trainer Barry Connell have previously questioned the logic behind the exclusion of the lottery from the upcoming bill which has been in the final report stage in Dail Eireann since July 12.

Lunn said: "The most common form of gambling in the country is the lottery and scratch cards but problem gamblers account for less of the spending on these products than they do for other forms of gambling, although the lottery and scratch cards are more associated with problem gambling than we previously thought."

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