Officials at the Department of Finance have just prepared a paper on excise duty – a type of tax levied on alcohol, tobacco and betting. The brief gave a window into the state of the industry in Ireland. Taxing betting is a sensitive issue in Ireland. Like horse racing, betting shops have been a big part of Irish life. And Flutter is one of the only Irish companies to be a world leader in its industry. But gambling is also an industry that, to some people, does great harm. Balancing the twin objectives of protecting punters and the industry is…