Northern Ireland MLAs renew call for online gambling regulation
MLAs welcomed the UK’s gambling white paper and said more needs to be done to regulate gambling in Northern Ireland.
UK.- British Gambling legislation does not cover all of the United Kingdom. It applies in England, Scotland and Wales, but the Gambling Commission does not regulate the sector in Northern Ireland, where there is still no regulation of online gambling.
As the UK government published its gambling white paper yesterday, members of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Stormont welcomed its arrival but renewed their call for regulation in the territory.
UUP MLA Robbie Butler, who chairs the Stormont All-Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling, said: “Whilst we welcome the release of this publication, it is concerning that although the review goes some way to acknowledging that the gambling industry should face tougher regulation and that more should be done to protect adults and children, the stark fact is that online gambling continues to be unregulated in Northern Ireland.”
The All-Party Group was formed in 2020. Its vice chair is Sinn Féin’s Philip McGuigan, who has previously spoken of his own gambling addiction, which he says led him to lose £100,000 in eight years.
McGuigan said: “Whilst we are pleased to see the publication of the white paper with proposals that are being described as a ‘turning point’ in Great Britain, we have a long road to travel in trying to bring the north’s regulations up to date.
“The All Party Group on Reducing Harm Related Gambling is committed to working to bring about gambling reform which will be fit for the digital world in which we live and we will continue to keep it top of the Stormont agenda.”
Northern Ireland’s gambling legislation
Northern Ireland did pass new gambling legislation last year. The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Bill became law in May after receiving royal assent, providing the first significant update to Northern Irish gambling legislation since the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Order 1985.
However, the legislation is the first phase in a planned wider overhaul of regulations. It introduces a levy on gaming licensees as well as a code of practice and allows betting shops to open on Sundays and on Good Friday. However, it doesn’t say anything about online gambling, which remains unregulated and is due to be dealt with in a second phase.
In December, the All-Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling launched an inquiry into approaches to gambling-related harms, calling on various stakeholders to give their opinions with a view to informing future policy.
The Stormont APG highlighted research suggesting that the current focus on individuals’ behaviours fails to recognise the wider impact on public health. It said that research from International Gambling Studies suggests that the typical problem gambler can affect around six other people.
