Fuel protests, prediction markets & the Masters

The National Emergency Coordination Group warned today that more than 100 fuel stations are out of supply and this could rise to 500 tonight.

The Government has said no further support package will be announced until fuel protestors end their blockade around the country.

RTÉ's Political Coverage Editor Joe Mag Raollaigh joins presenters Laura Fletcher and Eamon Horan to talk about the fallout from the fuel protests - one of the largest to hit the country.

From war to weather, prediction markets enable people to bet on anything and are growing in popularity.

Bets on the outcomes of future events can be placed online by anyone over the age of 18.

Business Post Markets Correspondent Kathleen Gallagher told Behind the Story there is one key difference with prediction markets over sporting bets.

"You're not betting against the house – you’re betting against each other," she explained.

"If you think you know slightly more than the average Joe on a certain topic, that is what they’re getting at."
Ms Gallagher said almost anything can have a bet made against it.

"If we think of traditional betting, mostly in a sports setting, but prediction markets is pretty much anything," she said.

"It’s the weather, it’s by-elections, it’s very specific as well.

"Pretty much anything you can imagine, there’s probably a prediction market on them."
Ms Gallagher said questions are now being raised on how to regulate such an industry.

"There’s a lot of discussion as to whether or not this should qualify as gambling, whether or not it should be trading – and those two have different regulators," she said.

"So, who does it sit with?

That’s still debated at the moment."
You can listen to Behind the Story on the RTÉ Radio Player.

You can also find episodes on Apple here , or on Spotify here .