gambling

gambling in Ireland has uncertain origins, though by the 17th century it was considered a common vice. Regular lotteries were held at least from the 1680s. Following the revolution of 1688 reforms were attempted. Amongst several parliamentary measures was one of 1708 which made it an offence to play cards or dice for cash. Interestingly it did not apply to the residence of the lord lieutenant. An act of 1740, citing gambling as a distraction from labour, made horse racing for small prizes a criminal offence, and lotteries, already deemed nuisances and liable to suppression, completely illegal. Yet lotteries continued to flourish. By the early 19th century the Irish were still portrayed as compulsive gamblers, though religious opposition and economic uncertainty in the following decades did prompt some decline. After partition both Irish states used gambling as a means of raising revenue. In Northern Ireland betting was heavily taxed. In the Irish Free State the existing lottery of the Irish Hospitals Sweepstake was given government backing from 1930. From 1926 off‐course betting on horses and greyhounds was legalized and taxed. Later levies were imposed on on‐course betting to support the racing industries. A national lottery, the Lotto, now provides funds for various projects in the Republic. Gambling remains extremely popular throughout Ireland. In the Republic alone IR£223 million was gambled on horse racing alone in 1985.

Neal Garnham