Northern Ireland looks to go into 2020 with a fresh new outlook on online gambling which could boost job creation and increase revenues in the region dramatically, making 2020 a great new year.
While this may come as a surprise to many non-Irish gambling fans, especially given the leading role that the UK played in regulating the online casino niche, technically it is still illegal to gamble online in Northern Ireland (NI).
✓DFC Looks To Spearhead Change
However, this a situation which the Department for Communities (DFC) is looking to address in the near future through a Consultation on Gambling Legislation for Northern Ireland.
Tracy Meharg, secretary for the Department for Communities, said of the consultation:
“[The results] will put the department in a position to offer the best advice to an incoming minister on the future regulatory framework,”
Meharg went on to add:
“However it is very important to recognise that for some people, gambling has the potential to cause considerable harm. Any future changes to the law must balance the interests of the gambling industry with the need for regulation to protect vulnerable people.”
The consultation process runs until February 21st, 2020 and seeks to understand what it will take to update the regions current regulatory framework when it comes to gambling.
✓Current NI Gambling Legislation
The laws governing gambling in Northern Ireland are the same as those used by the United Kingdom back in 1980. The problem is that the regulations were drafted nearly two decades before online gambling came into fashion leaving them woefully inadequate to speak to the current financial, social and technological realities of society.
This archaic interpretation of gambling law has not stopped Irish citizens from gambling online but rather has opened the doors to unregulated gambling which has robbed the local government of much needing funding through licences and taxes, as well as limiting potential job creation as Ireland could become a hub for the marketing, data warehousing and support teams needed to run a regulated casino business.
✓Bring On 2020
The consultation has the chance to bring these opportunities to the fore in NI while ensuring that fair play, financial and data security and crime prevention are all addressed at the same time.
This could see the start of a financial and opportunity upswing for Northern Ireland making 2020 a happy new year indeed.
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