Gambling Law In Northern Ireland
Aug 02, 2007 Current Northern Ireland gambling laws date back to 1985, and are reasonably similar to the older, stricter laws applicable in England, Scotland and Wales up until the changeover planned for. The current gambling law in Northern Ireland (NI) is complicated, written in an antiquated style (which makes it difficult for businesses to navigate) and much of it is overly-restrictive compared with other markets. The review is much needed. Jul 09, 2019 Where regulated, gambling is generally regulated nationally. There are generally no special states, municipalities or localities in Ireland that have separate gambling legislation. Northern Ireland. Current Northern Ireland gambling laws date back to 1985, and are reasonably similar to the older, stricter laws applicable in England, Scotland and Wales up until the changeover planned for.
December 23, 2019
The Department for Communities has today launched a consultation on gambling regulations in Northern Ireland and has asked for the for the views of all parties with an interest in this issue, so that relevant evidence can be taken into account when deciding the future of gambling regulations.
Northern Ireland law in respect of gambling is contained in ‘The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985’ (the “1985 Order”). The 1985 Order is broadly modelled on much older law from Great Britain (the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, the Gaming Act 1968 and the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976).
The Department accepts that the current legislation is outdated and has not kept pace with industry and technological changes; it is also complex and inflexible and it has been explained that the purpose of this consultation is to seek views on the appropriateness of the current legislation and to identify areas of gambling activity which should be included in any future legislation on gambling in Northern Ireland.
The consultation is split into three sections: (1) the future of gambling in Northern Ireland (with reference to casinos, poker, remote gambling, advertising and prize competitions, as well as problem gambling and the protection of children); (2) sector specific issues (focussing on betting, commercial bingo clubs, gaming machines and lotteries); and (3) licensing, enforcement and regulation (focussing on current licensing arrangements, enforcement and the future regulatory framework for Northern Ireland).
The consultation will last for 10 weeks from 16 December 2019 to 21 February 2020; a link to the consultation can be found here.
Gambling Law In Northern Ireland 2020
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