Northern Ireland: gaming centres welcome progress on gambling legislation
Northern Ireland’s adult gaming centre association NIACTA has welcomed the announcement that the government will introduce new legislation.
UK.- Northern Ireland’s adult gaming centres sector has welcomed an imminent update to gambling legislation.
Northern Ireland communities minister Deirdre Hargey has announced that the first phase in a revision of gambling legislation in Northern Ireland will begin shortly. It will be the first major change to legislation in 35 years.
Initial changes will include a statutory levy and code of practice, protection for children, and changes to opening hours. A second phase will focus on wider issues such as internet gambling.
Gerald Steinberg, chairman of the Northern Ireland Amusement Catering Trades Association (NIACTA), said: “We welcome the introduction of long overdue legislation for our industry.
“The current legislation is the 1985 order that was based on the British 1968 Act. We will be involved in discussions with the Northern Ireland government and the drafters of the legislation to seek a satisfactory outcome for our industry.”
Steinberg is also the founder and chairman of Oasis Retail Services, which runs 13 adult gaming centres in Northern Ireland. It recently opened a new Oasis Gaming venue in Dundonald. The company also supplies gaming machines.
Arcades, adult gaming centres and bingo clubs in Northern Ireland were permitted to reopen from May 24 after a relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.
Northern Ireland’s plans to update gambling legislation
The first phase of the planned two-stage update of legislation will include the introduction of a mandatory code of practice and a statutory levy for operators.
It will also expand the definition of cheating to include attempted cheating and will make it an offence to allow children to use gaming machines.
It’s believed that bookmakers’ opening hours will be relaxed to allow them to open on Sundays and on Good Friday. A consultation in 2019 showed support from 66 per cent of the public for such a move.
The changes would be the first since the implementation of Northern Ireland’s Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Order in 1985. A second, more comprehensive update to legislation will follow at a later date. It is expected that online gaming will be addressed in that later phase.
Northern Ireland’s All-Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling, chaired by Ulster Unionist MLA Robbie Butler, has described gambling regulation in Northern Ireland as “obsolete”.
Casinos in Northern Ireland
There has been speculation that a relaxation of laws could allow the first casinos to open in Northern Ireland, although there are likely to be strict conditions due to concerns over gambling harm.
Matthew Howse, a partner at Belfast-based law firm Eversheds Sutherland, said: “The sight of a casino in our towns and cities could come with stipulations, including a requirement for the industry to provide support for those struggling with addiction.
“97% of respondents to the public consultation wanted to see contributions towards ‘funding research, education and treatment’ from those companies who would benefit from the law changes. Although, it is worth noting that across the UK, it is commonplace for operators to agree to such caveats in return for a licence.”
The introduction of a statutory levy on gambling operators has also been proposed in the UK. The measure was proposed by responsible gambling charities GambleAware and YGAM in their responses to the Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) ongoing review of the 2005 Gambling Act review.
