Northern Ireland calls on UK Government to restrict gambling advertisements

Imago

The UK Government has been urged to restrict gambling advertising in Northern Ireland.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has been called to intervene in regards to gambling advertisements across the UK and Northern Ireland, with the All-Party Group of the Stormont Assembly on Gambling Harms Reduction being the ones calling for action.

At the end of Safer Gambling Week, the All-Party Group had written to the DCMS secretary of state, Lisa Nandy, requesting to “bridge the gap on gambling advertising.” The All-Party Group is run by chair, Philip McGuigan (Sinn Féin) and deputy chair, Robbie Butler (Ulster Unionist Party). 

Other members of the Group are party representatives from: the Alliance Party, the Democratic Unionist Party and the Social Democratic and Labour Party. 

Gambling is regulated in Northern Ireland, however when the NI Betting, Gaming, Lotteries & Amusements Order of 1985 was amended, in 2022, new legislation regarding iGaming and online sports betting slipped through the net. This led to the gambling framework in Northern Ireland, becoming outdated.

Additionally, despite having its own gambling framework, betting in Northern Ireland is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, hence why party leaders are encouraging the UK to change their stance on gambling advertisements.

The letter stated: “While remote gambling operators, licensed by the Gambling Commission, can freely advertise in Northern Ireland, as online and broadcast advertising is a reserved matter, our population is afforded no protection by the regulator.

“However, you have the power under existing laws to prevent our children from being bombarded with gambling-related marketing during major sports broadcasts, such as Premier League matches and to prevent those already experiencing gambling harms from being targeted by gambling companies on social media.

“Introducing restrictions similar to those in Ireland would have a profound benefit for Northern Ireland, Britain and Ireland, where British TV is widely watched.”

DCMS has issued a response stating that it will reply to the letter from the All-Party Group in due course.