Tim Cairns is a Senior Policy Manager for CARE
Northern Ireland has a gambling problem. Around 3% of people here, roughly 47,000 adults, are experiencing gambling harm. To put that in perspective, there are more people in gambling harm in Northern Ireland’s six counties than in the whole of the twenty-six counties that comprise the rest of the island. The prevalence of gambling harm here is five times higher than England. The question that is not easy to answer is why?
It may stem from our troubled past, it could be a result of political inaction on tackling harm, or perhaps its because harm is concentrated in areas of deprivation, passed from generation to generation making the cycle hard to break. It is clear research is urgently needed to identify the root cause of the issue.
Whatever is at the core of the problem, one thing is for certain, Executive inaction is making the issue worse. It was disappointing in July last year, when Gordon Lyons announced no action on the issue would be taken in this Assembly mandate. In fairness to Gordon that has been the stance taken by every single one of his predecessors. This is particularly perplexing given the APG on tackling gambling harm is one of the most active APGs at Stormont, with all parties in agreement on what needs to happen, yet seemingly nothing can be done.
Northern Ireland is still governed by legislation from the 1980s, which mirror England’s laws from the 1960s and 1970s. Some commentators have suggested that reform is easy, all that is required is a ‘cut and paste’ of the GB Gambling Act from 2005. But this ignores the fact that in GB there is a political consensus that the 2005 Act was a massive mistake and reform is needed to reshape laws to better protect consumers.
Which raises an important question: should gambling even be devolved at all? Following the implementation of the GB Act, TV and radio stations realised they would be in breach of the law if they advertised gambling in Northern Ireland. While the laws had been relaxed in the rest of the UK, it was still illegal to advertise here. With the advent of the internet, our laws written in 1985 had no concept of online gambling and UK wide operators would be prevented from offering their service to people here. This led to a change in the law, gambling licences for online gaming issued in GB were extended to cover Northern Ireland. Leading to a legal anomaly. While the Gambling Commission will issue a licence that permits online gambling and advertising here it will not review the case of anyone who finds themselves in gambling harm. The industry can profit from the people of Belfast, but they cannot be held to account for what they do. With the UK reviewing its laws, is it time for gambling to be handed back to Westminster?
It seems likely that gambling will remain devolved for now, so what needs to happen to help those in harm? First, Northern Ireland needs its own regulator. This could be a bespoke commission, or we could establish an all-island regulatory body/integration into the GB system. Whatever decision the Minister makes, the new body must be consumer focused and offer support directly to individuals who need help.
Secondly, a statutory levy needs to be imposed ensuring the industry pays for the harm it causes. In 2022 the Assembly legislated for a power to raise a levy. The same power has been commenced in the rest of the UK, which covers online gambling, but does not extend to here. With no NHS support available, a levy is essential to fund support and treatment for those who need it.
Thirdly, we need a joined-up gambling strategy to ensure Executive Departments work together, I know, not another strategy! But it is the only way we can start to arrest the problem and target need. Finally, we need to follow the rest of Ireland and ban gambling adverts before 9pm. Ideally gambling adverts would be banned completely, but the Irish compromise is at least a step forward.
Gambling harm is a massive hidden epidemic in Northern Ireland. For many young men it has led to them taking their own lives. Its well past time for Stormont to act. Its time for gambling reform.
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