The GAA have voted to ban all sponsorship from gambling companies at their annual congress in Croke Park.
The motion that "sponsorship by a betting company of any competition, team, playing gear or facility be prohibited," was the first down for vote this morning and was supported by 93% of the 270 voting delegates.
Mick Rock of Connacht GAA forwarded the motion and, speaking before the vote, he claimed that sport in general is "besieged by gambling" and that passing the motion "will enhance the moral standing of the GAA in Irish life and protect the integrity of our games."
Live updates from Congress 2018 here
The vote will have no major immediate impact on any inter-county teams as no county currently has a bookmaker as a major sponsor.
Armagh do have a partnership deal with Boylesports, which looks set to end with the passing of this motion.
Gambling has become an increased problem for GAA players and GPA spokesman Alan Kerins revealed that of the 77 players who requested counselling services last year, 15% of them were for gambling-related issues.
Former Armagh footballer Oisín McConville has spoke of his gambling addiction in the past and had supported the motion in the build-up to today’s vote.
"I think this motion shows the GAA is standing up and doing something and making sure it is not something which becomes more infiltrated," McConville told the Irish Independent earlier this week.
"Looking at the Premier League [betting sponsorship] came in and didn't have a huge impact and then built momentum as time went on. And that is something I could see happening in the GAA; we are nipping it in the bud."
