Northern Ireland dubbed "Wild West" for gambling amid "significant public health issue" concerns
Recently released report from All Party Group comes off the back of a lengthy inquiry and has determined that gambling is a major problem that requires "decisive action" from lawmakers
Gambling is a “significant public health issue” in Northern Ireland and should be recognised as such, according to a new report published by the All Party Group (APG) on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling
The APG urged the Northern Ireland Executive to implement gambling-related policies in line with the way alcohol and tobacco products are treated, insisting that the country’s whole population is vulnerable and individual-level methods are inadequate.
The APG’s report claimed that between 130,000 and 200,000 people each year are indirectly impacted by gambling-related harm in Northern Ireland, with 2.3% of the population recognised as having a “gambling problem”, four times higher than in Britain and three times higher than the Republic of Ireland.
The release of the report comes after a lengthy inquiry conducted by the APG, which took place between December 2022 and January 2024 and included over 30 witnesses providing oral evidence over the course of 13 sessions.
Almost 50 individuals and organisations also submitted written evidence, some of which included personal accounts of gambling-related harm.
Following the inquiry, the report was released 24 June and contained as many as 57 recommendations.
One of the most notable conclusions explained that Northern Ireland’s gambling market should be overseen by an independent regulator, that will have the power to enforce laws, grant licences and dispense fines.
This recommendation stemmed from the report finding the current systems in place to protect bettors are ineffective, and hence should be replaced by an independent gambling ombudsman so that gambling is granted the same level of protection as other consumer goods such as alcohol and tobacco.
Other recommendations included that an integrated regional public health-focused strategy be developed and implemented by the Department of Health, and work closely with other relevant departments.
It was also proposed that some sort of financial levy be imposed on operators in Northern Ireland to be used to fund research, prevention and treatment for gambling-related harm.
Additionally, the report advised that forms of gambling that carry higher risk of harm to individuals should be subject to tighter regulations as opposed to a blanket rule for all games.
Those recommendations came after data pointed to the prevalence of gambling in Northern Ireland.
The data highlighted that 15% of those who had gambled in the past 12 months said they had been “encouraged to spend money by advertising” while young people in more deprived areas were more likely to have gambled in the last year.
Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly (MLA) member and APG Reducing Harm Related to Gambling chair, Philip McGuigan, discussed the recommendations and called on the Executive to “take decisive action” by implementing a public health approach.
McGuigan said: “The culmination of the findings from the inquiry which have been published in this report cover a wide range of issues, including the impact of gambling on individual and public health in the North, the impact on children and young people, as well as effective approaches to regulation from a public health perspective.
“The overwhelming weight of evidence which the APG received during this inquiry shows that gambling is a significant public health issue here, and we are therefore calling for a public health approach.
“As we proceed towards the next stage of gambling reform, a process which is likely to entail one of the largest – if not the largest – bills ever to pass through the Assembly, several important policy considerations are offered.
“Chief among these is a ‘prevention-first’ approach which seeks to tackle the root causes of gambling harm first and foremost. Similar to that used for alcohol and tobacco as, with these other legal addictive products, the whole population is vulnerable to gambling addiction and harm.
“The APG is therefore calling on the Northern Ireland Executive and departments to take decisive action in adopting these measures.”
Robbie Butler, MLA member and vice-chair of the APG, echoed a similar sentiment and claimed Northern Ireland remains a target for unlicensed operators.
He remarked: “The findings of this inquiry come at a critical juncture for Northen Ireland and gambling reform. As noted in the report, we are lagging behind neighbouring jurisdictions in this regard – we remain a ‘Wild West’, where totally unregulated online gambling operators target our local communities.”