Northern Ireland residents back creating gambling regulator, allowing casinos

Almost two-thirds of responses support relaxing the opening hours for bookmakers and betting shops to allow them to open on Sunday.

2020-09-24

United Kingdom

Reading time 1:30 min

The Department for Communities' public consultation on gambling laws received 382 responses. Nine out of 10 supported a regulatory body for gambling, and three-fifths believed the law should be amended to allow casinos to operate in the country. 97% agreed that the industry should contribute to "funding research, education and treatment" for those with gambling addictions.

Plans to regulate gambling in Northern Ireland are due to be set out after a public consultation found overwhelming support for a new independent regulator.

The Department for Communities carried out a consultation on gambling laws between last December and February, and found "strong support" for the creation of an independent gambling regulator in the country, BBC reports.

Unlike Great Britain, which has a gambling commission, Northern Ireland does not. The communities minister is expected to make an announcement on the next steps in the "coming weeks."

Appearing before Stormont's Department for Communities committee on Wednesday, departmental official Michael McAvera said there had been 382 responses to the consultation. The majority were from individuals, with almost a quarter received from organizations. He added that nine out of 10 respondents supported a regulatory body for gambling in Northern Ireland.

But McAvera also said three-fifths of respondents believed the law should be amended to allow casinos to operate in Northern Ireland. He also said almost two-thirds of responses support relaxing the opening hours for bookmakers and betting shops to allow them to open on Sunday.

However, he stressed that 97% of people who responded to the consultation agreed that the industry should contribute to "funding research, education and treatment" for those with gambling addictions.

Some committee members expressed surprise at the number of positive responses about casinos, which are currently illegal in Northern Ireland. In 2014, then-minister Nelson McCausland said he would not approve a plan to allow a casino to be developed in Belfast.

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said "the very fact they're calling for casinos and increased hours in bookmakers is going to cause more harm, because of the actions they're taking, as opposed to addressing the societal harm." Other MLAs also said there needed to be specific legislation to protect people as much as possible, particularly when it came to addiction issues.

The details of the consultation findings are due to be published in the coming weeks, before the department moves ahead with any legislation.