Gambling Law In Northern Ireland
The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 12 December 2020. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Current Northern Ireland gambling laws date back to 1985, and are reasonably similar to the older, stricter laws applicable in England, Scotland and Wales up until the changeover planned for. The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 12 December 2020. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date.
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A new Stormont inquiry has been launched by the All-Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling in Northern Ireland.
The group is looking into ways in which Northern Ireland’s gambling legislation – which is old and arguably obsolete – can be updated.
CARE NI, who provide the secretariat to the group, welcomed the inquiry.
Research shows that the prevalence of problem gambling in NI is four times higher than the rest of the UK and three times higher than the Republic of Ireland.
Gambling related harms include job loss, financial loss, relationship and family breakdown and in extreme cases, suicide.
The All-Party Group also published new polling by Survation which shows 80% of respondents believe there should be a limit on how much customers deposit in online gambling accounts.
60% meanwhile, support an outright ban on gambling advertising.
Robbie Butler MLA, who chairs the Stormont committee looking into new legislation, said:
Submissions can be made to the inquiry up until 6 November.
CARE’s View
Gambling Law In Northern Ireland Dublin
Northern Ireland’s gambling laws date back to 1985 and are simply out of date. This inquiry will hopefully pave the way for meaningful reform. Gambling related harms not only effect individuals, but also their friends and families. We will be engaging with this inquiry and will continue to call for Stormont to introduce new legislation to protect vulnerable people.
December 23, 2019
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The Department for Communities has today launched a consultation on gambling regulations in Northern Ireland and has asked for the for the views of all parties with an interest in this issue, so that relevant evidence can be taken into account when deciding the future of gambling regulations.
Northern Ireland law in respect of gambling is contained in ‘The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985’ (the “1985 Order”). The 1985 Order is broadly modelled on much older law from Great Britain (the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, the Gaming Act 1968 and the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976).
The Department accepts that the current legislation is outdated and has not kept pace with industry and technological changes; it is also complex and inflexible and it has been explained that the purpose of this consultation is to seek views on the appropriateness of the current legislation and to identify areas of gambling activity which should be included in any future legislation on gambling in Northern Ireland.
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The consultation is split into three sections: (1) the future of gambling in Northern Ireland (with reference to casinos, poker, remote gambling, advertising and prize competitions, as well as problem gambling and the protection of children); (2) sector specific issues (focussing on betting, commercial bingo clubs, gaming machines and lotteries); and (3) licensing, enforcement and regulation (focussing on current licensing arrangements, enforcement and the future regulatory framework for Northern Ireland).
The consultation will last for 10 weeks from 16 December 2019 to 21 February 2020; a link to the consultation can be found here.
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