APG says much more to be done to tackle hidden gambling addiction as Minister proposes changes to law

The Northern Ireland Assembly All Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling has welcomed the Minister for Communities’ initial proposals to reform gambling regulation and called on the Minister to go further in protecting communities here against gambling harm.

Department for Communities officials presented the Minister’s proposals to the Assembly Committee for Communities on Thursday morning.

APG Chair Robbie Butler MLA said: “Our gambling laws haven’t been updated since 1985 so this is a welcome first step. But considering we have the highest incidence of problem gambling in the UK and on the island of Ireland, we clearly have a lot more work to do. This is only the beginning.”  

“While we welcome the proposed introduction of a mandatory industry levy, this must be extended to online operators where increasing numbers are gambling and most of the harm is occurring. The Minister also makes no mention of affordability checks or phasing out some of the most addictive and dangerous products such as Fixed Odds Better Terminals which have been described as the ‘crack cocaine’ of gambling.”

In 2016, a Northern Ireland-wide survey identified 2.3% of the population as having a gambling problem. This is more than four times higher than that recorded in Britain and almost three times higher than in the Republic of Ireland. International studies suggest that the suicide rate among people with a gambling disorder is 15 times that of the general population.

APG Vice Chair Philip McGuigan MLA said: “This APG is not anti-gambling. This isn’t about someone putting five pounds on a horse. It’s about someone sitting on their phone, alone at night throwing away an entire month’s salary in 30 minutes with no affordability checks or oversight. This APG will be pushing for robust online regulation here that protects individuals before any harm occurs.”

The APG on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling has been conducting an inquiry into the future regulation of gambling in Northern Ireland. It’s report will be published in the Autumn and will go to the Communities Minister and her Executive colleagues for consideration.

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For further information please contact secretariat@gamharmapg.org