Northern Ireland Plan to Reform Their Decades Old Gambling Bill

While the rest of the world has been looking to multi-license regulated online gambling as a revenue generation method, Northern Ireland has continued to work within the parameters of the legislation it instituted in 1985.

However, Northern Ireland’s Communities Minister, Deirdre Hargey, went on record announcing that the country is in the process of reviewing this more than three-decade-old legislation,

 The Time Has Come

While no decisions have been formally recognised yet, the bill aimed at modernising the country’s existing gambling regulation will be submitted to the Assembly for approval within 30 days.

In her landmark announcement Minister Hargey said:

“Gambling legislation has remained largely unchanged since it was enacted 35 years ago. As a result, gambling regulation here has not kept pace with the industry and technological changes. In my view change is long overdue.”

Once the Assembly approves the proposed bill reform the government will split the legislature into two distinct sections. Each will require the input and guidance of specialists within those fields with the intended outcome being gambling regulations that address advancements in technology, an increased focus on safer gambling and makes allowance for cultural shifts.

Two-Pronged Approach

In her address, minister Hargey highlighted the following as the government's intended approach to tackling the rather intensive job of rewriting nearly four decades worth of gambling law.

• Phase One – This phase of the reform will constitute 17 keys areas focusing on land-based gambling. Here the review will address such issues as protecting minors from gambling harm, safer gambling strategies, age-gating access to slot machines and allowing bookmaking on Sundays and religious holidays.
• Phase two – This is the most exciting phase as at this point the review board will look toward the future of regulated online gambling in Ireland as well as the legislation around allowing gambling machines in Ireland.

There is the hope that with the modernisation of the existing gambling framework, during Phase Two, that Northern Ireland could see the launch of its first local casino. While bookmakers are a common site to date there exist no legal land-based casinos in the country.