NI APG Wants a Gambling Ads Limit Introduced
The UK government has been urged to look into restrictions on gambling advertisements in Northern Ireland. This comes after the introduction of Ireland’s new gambling structure and laws.
APG Calls for UK Government to Limit Gambling Ads In Northern Ireland
Lawmakers in Northern Ireland have called on the UK’s government to take immediate action to change rules regarding gambling advertisements in the country.
Ireland recently passed a new law that will prevent gambling advertisements from being allowed at certain times, though the change has proven to be a controversial one.
The Labour Party said it would reform the gambling sector in its pre-election manifesto, but as of yet, there have been no details about what changes may be made.
The All-Party Group (APG) on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling in the Northern Ireland Assembly is now urging the UK government to follow in the footsteps of Ireland’s government.
APG chair Philip McGuigan said: “This marks the first significant overhaul of gambling legislation in the south of Ireland in nearly seventy years. The reforms, which include a 5:30 am to 9:00 pm ban on gambling ads on television and radio, along with stringent restrictions on gambling-related social media content, aim to shield those vulnerable to gambling-related harm.
Notably, the legislation also bans advertisements that could appeal to children.
Northern Ireland Isolated
One of the risks of gambling advertisement rules not changing in Northern Ireland is that the nation could end up “isolated”, according to APG vice chair Robbie Butler.
“Northern Ireland now finds itself isolated as the only region in these islands without modern gambling legislation, despite the rise of the internet,” he said.
“Due to limited legislative time within this Assembly mandate, the Northern Ireland executive is unable to advance a gambling bill. Nonetheless, there are measures Westminster can implement now to protect citizens in Northern Ireland and beyond from gambling-related harms.”
He added that the UK government should be looking to introduce restrictions on gambling advertisements that are similar to the new rules in Ireland.
He said: “Such measures could shield children from gambling-related promotions during sports broadcasts and reduce targeting of individuals affected by gambling issues on social media.”
Rocky Road For Reform
Northern Ireland initially started looking into gambling industry rule changes in 2019.
Stormont launched a consultation on an update to the ‘1985 Order on Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements’, which has no mention of online gambling as it pre-dated the internet.
Progress was slow and stilted, however, as issues with the government in Northern Ireland prevented such a complicated law change from being pushed through. Labour seems reluctant to issue curbs on the gambling industry, however.
Industry lobby group the Betting & Gaming Council, which describes itself as a standards body for the sector, has the former Labour Party MP Michael Dugher as its current chair.
