Inquiry - Gaming Machines in Northern Ireland
About
This inquiry will examine the issue of gaming machines in Northern Ireland, seeking to outline a regulatory regime for gaming machines with gambling harm reduction at its core. It will consider associated issues, including:
- The legal position of gaming machines in NI and other jurisdictions
- What level of regulation is appropriate for different types of gaming machine
- Additional protections for children and young people
- The human cost for those who have suffered harm as a result of using gaming machines
Organisations and individuals are invited to make written submissions to the APG that address some or all of the following issues:
Do the regulations on gaming machines currently in force in Northern Ireland provide adequate protection for people here?
Do you believe that the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Bill, currently passing through the Assembly, will introduce sufficiently strong protections for people here?
Do measures contained in the Gaming, Betting, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Bill to provide additional protections for young people go far enough, or are stronger protections needed?
Responding to the Minister’s announcement that ‘tighter controls on FOBTs’ will be included in the proposed new Code of Practice for gambling operators, do you believe this is an appropriate means of regulating these machines? What measures, if any, relating to FOBTs and other gaming machines would you like to see contained in the Code of Practice?
With regard to gaming machines, are the current licensing arrangements for gambling premises sufficient? Should individual licenses for each gaming machine be considered?
What statistical information on gaming machines should be collected and made available by the Department and its agencies?
How should a new regulatory regime for gaming machines be enforced?
The call for written evidence opens on Wednesday 24 November and will close at midnight on Wednesday 15 December. The full Terms of Reference for the inquiry can be viewed here.
Submissions should be in Word format, include a contact name, organisation name, contact email address and telephone number and be emailed to secretariat@gamharmapg.org.
The APG will announce its oral evidence sessions, shortly. If you would like to appear before the group, please contact the APG secretariat (secretariat@gamharmapg.org) by Friday 10 December 2021.
A subsequent inquiry report will make recommendations to the Northern Ireland Executive on the second phase of the reform of Northern Ireland’s gambling legislation.