Northern Ireland MLAs call for urgent action on gambling ads

An All-Party Group has called for reforms similar to those in the Republic.

UK.- The Northern Ireland Assembly’s All-Party Group (APG) on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling has called for new rules for gambling advertising. The move comes after the lower house in the neighbouring Republic of Ireland passed new gambling legislation that includes a watershed for broadcast gambling advertising and a ban on ads that could appeal to children.

Members of the Legislative Assembly say they now want to see similar measures north of the border. APG chair Philip McGuigan praised Ireland’s new legislation as “the first comprehensive reform of gambling law in the south of Ireland in almost seventy years”.

He added: “These changes, including a 5.30am to 9.00pm watershed on when gambling advertising can be broadcast on television and radio and a de facto ban on gambling-related social media content, will provide protection to those who may be at risk of gambling harm. The legislation also specifically prohibits advertising for gambling which may be attractive to children.”

The APGs vice chair Robbie Butler said: “Northern Ireland now stands alone as the only jurisdiction on these islands without updated gambling legislation since the advent of the internet. We know that unfortunately the Northern Ireland executive does not have sufficient legislative time in this assembly mandate to take forward a gambling bill. However, there are steps that the government at Westminster can take now to protect the public in Northern Ireland and elsewhere from gambling harms.

“The government has the power under existing laws to introduce restrictions on gambling advertising in the UK similar to those in the Republic. This would prevent our children from being bombarded with gambling-related marketing during sports broadcasts and those already experiencing gambling harm from being targeted by gambling companies on social media.”