Plans to build a new 24-hour gambling arcade in Dublin, Ireland have been met with severe backlash by the HSE Addiction Service.
As online casinos in Ireland continue to thrive, applicant Peter McNally wants to open a ‘gaming and amusement’ arcade in the north Dublin suburb of Ballymun.
The application plans to change the use of a retail unit to a 24-hour casino but since becoming public there has been nothing but negative press on the matter.
The proposal has seen more than 50 third-party objections lodged from different individuals and groups including local TDs Paul McAuliffe of Fianna Fáil and Rory Hearne of the Social Democrats.
Both politicians believe the application is inconsistent with the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 which vowed to tackle the ‘overconcentration of gambling-related businesss and further clustering of such uses.’
TD Rory Hearne Warns Ballymun Arcade Could ‘Normalise Gambling’ For Young People
Hearne believes if the arcade receives the planning permission it is seeking, the result could have detrimental effects on the young people of Ballymun.
“As has been rightfully pointed out by the Gambling Regulation Authority, problem gambling is a major issue in Ireland.
“A recent ESRI study estimates that approximately one in 30 adults in Ireland suffers from problem gambling.
“There are also direct links between childhood exposure to gambling and problem gambling in adulthood.
“I share concerns that a gaming and amusement arcade will normalise gambling, particularly for younger people.
“The development of an arcade including slot machines and casino gambling is an unwelcome one in this context.”
Ballymun is one of Dublin’s most socially disadvantaged areas and local residents think installing a 24-hour arcade would be inappropriate and harmful – especially considering the proposed unit is just a stone’s throw away from a HSE drug treatment clinic.
Ballymun’s Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Force warned the likelihood of drug-dealing near the arcade is sky-high as dealers can loiter next to it, able to excuse handling large amounts of cash if approached by gardaí.
Dublin City Council Under Fire For Granting Similar Planning Permission In April
Earlier this year, Dublin city council approved planning permission for a similar gaming and amusement arcade in Finglas – less than two miles from Ballymun.
That decision is now under appeal to An Bord Pleanála, the independent body that decides on appeals from planning permission handed out by local authorities in Ireland.
There is already a 24-hour casino just 2.5km away from Ballymun in the Omni Shopping Centre in Santry.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
