Northern Ireland Modernizes Gaming Rules, Critics Say Better Protections Are Needed

Northern Ireland has moved to modernize its gambling laws, aligning them with those of mainland UK. Critics, however, have voiced concerns over the lack of similar safeguards.

Northern Ireland Seeks to Modernize Gaming

The Legislative Assembly has approved without a vote the aligning of Northern Ireland’s gambling machine regulations to those of Great Britain, effectively approving laxer restrictions on gaming. The motion, spearheaded by communities minister Gordon Lyons, seeks to modernize the local industry.

A total of 57 recommendations have been submitted in an attempt to modernize the region’s laws. One of the biggest changes for players would be the increase of the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to £2. Prizes, meanwhile, will cap at £500.

Lyons argued that the changes would make Great Britain’s laws more consistent, thus allowing for better industry oversight. Clearer regulations will allow the country to better address gambling fraud on a broader scale, eliminating illegal operators and penalizing violations. Lyons reaffirmed his commitment to making sure that gambling is being conducted responsibly and transparently.

Lack of Sufficient Protections May Nurture Problem Gambling

In the meantime, the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) Party disagreed with the reforms because of one major oversight – the lack of sufficient safety measures. The modernization of North Ireland’s gambling does not include the implementation of similar protections to those in the rest of Great Britain.

TUV’s Timothy Gaston emphasized that Northern Ireland is already experiencing significant gambling addiction problems. He pointed out that the province is experiencing harm rates that are five times higher than the average in England. As a result, his party argued that the adoption of higher stakes may spur additional gambling problems and hurt vulnerable groups.  

To make matters worse, Northern Ireland has been somewhat forgotten when it comes to gambling reforms and is not included in the measures outlined in the Gambling Act white paper. This means that even though Great Britain would introduce a statutory levy on gambling operators and channel the money toward research, education and treatment (RET), Northern Ireland will not benefit from these funds.

Gaston said that gambling limits should not be liberalized before appropriate safer gambling measures are introduced.  He concluded that proceeding with the changes would be very irresponsible.

NICE Published Harm Treatment Guidelines

Speaking of gambling harm in the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE) just published its guidelines for gambling harm treatment. Among other things, the guidance advised healthcare professionals to inquire about patients’ gambling habits.

Another important recommendation was the creation of a RET sector that does not depend on the gambling industry. This reflected a broader trend that has caused worries among certain experts. While some support the separation of treatment from the broader industry, others argue that this would deprive the RET sector of valuable expertise.