Cowen silent on bookies ‘nod’ claim

TÁNAISTE Brian Cowen last night refused to comment on claims he had “given the nod” to the bookmaking industry the Government would permit introduction of fixed-odds betting terminals.

However, the Department of Justice, under whose remit the relevant legislation falls, insisted the Government had “not considered any proposal” to introduce the betting machines in bookmakers’ shops.

The claim was made by Labour justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte, who warned that the gaming machines had been described as the “crack cocaine of gambling” by experts.