After 35 years of the long wait, Northern Ireland is all set to make its “first significant changes” in its gambling laws which include the establishment of mandatory code for the gambling operators.
Presently, the gambling activities in Northern Ireland are regulated under Betting, Gaming, Lotteries, and Amusement Order dated back to 1985.
Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey announced that the new legislation will be introduced in few weeks. All the further updates dealing with online gambling are also included with other topics in the new legislation.
Hargey said, “Gambling legislation has remained largely unchanged since it was enacted thirty-five 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. ”
Hargey has hinted at some important key features of the new legislation which include a mandatory code of practice for gambling license holders and allow the contract to be enforced by the law.
Further changes in the new legislation include making the gambling activity an offense for allowing children to use gaming machines. Allowing children to gamble will expand the definition of cheating and impose a statutory levy on gambling licensees.
Statutory levy has been noted topic in the case of Department of Digitial Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) Gambling Act review, that has been mentioned by GambleAware and YGAM.
Bookmakers will be permitted to open on Sundays and Good Friday as pr the new gambling legislation. This was initiated by the public consultation in 2019, which calculated that 66% of the members were persistent that the bookmaker’s office hours should be relaxed. Almost, majority of the participants insisted on opening bookmaker offices during Sundays.
Tracy Meharg, DfC Permanent Secretary, said, “I know that gambling industry is an important employer in Northern Ireland and that ambling is an activity which is enjoyed responsibly by a large number of people. ”
She continues, “However it is very important to recognize that for some people, gambling has the potential to cause considerable harm. Any further changes to the law must balance the interests of the gambling industry with the need for regulations to protect vulnerable people.”
Meharg commented, “there is no doubt that the current legislation is outdated and has not kept pace with the industry and technological changes.”
Politicians in Northern Ireland have kept an informative session to sought guidance from colleagues in Westminster.
The initial legislation will be introduced in few weeks and then will undergo the second update for a much longer time. The second update phase will include a completely new framework for online gambling.
