Gambling legislation, which is being openly flouted in Bundoran, has been described as "completely outdated" by the manager of one of the main amusement arcades in the Co Donegal town.
Mr Conor McEniff, son of Fianna Fail councillor and owner of Macks Amusements, Mr Sean McEniff, said it did not make sense to have a law limiting the maximum pay-out on a slot machine to 50p when there were no effective controls on the amount of money people could spend on lottery tickets.
Mr McEniff said he had no comment to make on the fact that customers on his premises had reported wins of up to u £200 on 2p slot machines. He said he wanted to stress that any attempt to close down gaming arcades would "kill Bundoran" because of the number of visitors they brought to the town, particularly from Northern Ireland.
"If you try to close down arcades, you will have mass unemployment. Talk to business people in the town and they will tell you that they don't want them closed."
Under the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1956, the maximum amount that can be bet at a time is 21/2p and the maximum win on this stake is limited to 50p.
In all three main gaming arcades in Bundoran yesterday, it was obvious people were winning sums vastly in excess of 50p. At Olympic Amusements, an elderly woman watched as u £12 in 2p coins poured from the machine. She said she would still not be making a net gain. "I've already given it to them," she said. A member of staff then told this reporter not to talk to customers.
At Colm's Amusements, a man playing a poker machine which accepted 50p coins said it was possible to win up to u £50. At Macks Amusements there were also about 20 people playing machines
A retired woman, who was playing a slot machine alongside her husband, said they travelled the seven miles into Bundoran to the arcades about twice a week. She had earlier won u £15, but had put that and more back into the machine.
While the machine only takes 2p coins, she showed how one could put in six coins at a time, and if one then hit the jackpot with three "wild" symbols, the win was u £200. This was clearly indicated on the machine: a six-play hitting the jackpot gives a return of 10,000 coins. She said she won u £200 in this way about two weeks ago, but that in the end one always put in a lot more than one got out.
Both she and her husband described as "ridiculous" a recently-placed notice on the machines saying "Maximum pay-out of 50p".
According to Gamblers Anonymous, playing slot machines is one of the most addictive forms of gambling. Mr Conor McEniff totally rejected suggestions that people using his premises could become addicted. "If I thought people couldn't afford to spend money on my machines, I'd bar them. A lot of the customers are retired and they come here to meet people and enjoy themselves."
Bundoran Urban District Council is unlikely to follow the county council in banning gaming. Mr Sean McEniff is a member of the UDC, as is his sister, Ms Mary McGlynn, and his daughter, Ms Elizabeth McIntyre.
The extended McEniff family of Mr Sean McEniff and his brother, Brian, and their children represent a powerful lobby group in the town and are by far the biggest employers. Between them they also own three hotels, a separate night-club venue, and a large holiday home development.
Mr Frankie Gorman, the chairman of Bundoran UDC and an independent councillor, said the town would "collapse" if the gaming arcades were closed. "The laws are antiquated. In fact, I am looking for a casino for the town. People should be able to go to casinos here the way they do in any other European country," he added.