The public want to see strict new laws to protect people from gambling addictions, according to a survey.
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The poll found that 60% of those surveyed would like to see a complete ban on gambling advertising in Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, 80% favoured limits on how much customers can deposit in online gambling accounts and 80% wanted online gambling to be subject to the same controls as land-based gambling.
Just 20% of respondents believe that current gambling regulations do a good job protecting customers, and 75% backed the creation of an independent gambling regulator.
The research by Survation was unveiled at the launch of a Stormont inquiry by the All Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling on Tuesday.
It is examining how best to reform Northern Ireland's gambling legislation, which predates the internet.
The region has the highest incidence of problem gambling on these islands.
In 2016, a Department for Communities 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.
The survey findings have been backed by the group's vice chair Sinn Fein MLA Philip McGuigan, who himself battled with a gambling addiction.
He lost more than £100,000 through online gambling over eight years, and said it had had a huge impact on his family life.
Northern Ireland launch a public consultation on gambling regulations 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 is reshaping its jurisdiction, with the next step being a movement afoot to create an independent gambling regulator. Key Study Presented The support has arisen as a result of a Department of Communities consultation on gambling laws between last December and February, which received some 400 responses.
The North Antrim representative described legislation as at least 30 years out of date.
'The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Order predates both fixed-odds betting terminals and the internet,' he said.
'Reform is well overdue.'
Mr McGuigan said as an avid sports fan he is 'bombarded' with adverts for online gambling, and expressed concern at it being to some extent a 'hidden' problem, with online gambling allowing people to get their fix without even leaving their homes.
'Unfortunately, there are a huge number of people on this island battling gambling additions across all sectors of society,' he said.
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'It is a growing problem with females, playing bingo and roulette. People nowadays can gamble 24/7 without leaving their homes, at work.'
Mr McGuigan admitted he thought long and hard before speaking publicly about his experiences for the first time earlier this year, but said scores of people contacted him and he was able to direct them to help.
He also urged the need for healthcare provision for gambling addictions.
'Across the world gambling related harm is increasingly being recognised as a serious public health problem,' he said.
'We need to treat it as such here. That means putting measures in place which help prevent gambling-related harm arising in the first place.'
The group's chairman UUP's Robbie Butler said over the coming weeks members will examine what needs to be done to reduce gambling-related harms and invite organisations and individuals to make submissions.
Oral evidence will be heard from November.
'Once our report is completed, we will send our recommendations to the Northern Ireland Executive,' he said.
'What is already clear is that new regulations should be focused on protecting vulnerable people and their families, putting the consumer first.'
The call for written evidence for the inquiry will close on Friday 6 November.
The Gambling Control Bill was approved by Government in July 2013. This Bill will, upon enactment, repeal all extant gaming and betting legislation, with the exception of that governing the National Lottery.
The General Scheme of the Bill is with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government (OPC) awaiting drafting.
Betting Act 1931
The Betting (Amendment) Act 2015 was commenced on 15th April 2015. This legislation amends the Betting Act 1931 and provides for the licensing of remote (on-line) bookmakers and betting intermediaries for the first time.
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Applications for certificates of personal fitness from remote operators, and terrestrial bookmakers not ordinarily resident in the State, are to be made to the Minister for Justice, following the placement of an advertisement in two daily, national newspapers. The advertisement and the application form are to be in a specified format. You can access these at the link below:
Terrestrial out of State Operators
Remote Operators
Applications for certificates of personal fitness from terrestrial bookmakers ordinarily resident in the State are to be made to a Superintendent of An Garda Síochána. The newspaper advertisement and application form for such operators can be accessed at the following link
Terrestrial Irish Operators
The application form in all instances details the information that is to be submitted in support of an application. It should be noted that an application will not be considered until such time as all such information has been received.
'relevant officer' of a corporate body is defined in section 1 of the 1931 Act as amended by section 2 of the 2015 Act. The first category of person who must apply for a certificate of personal fitness is he or she who exercises control (within the meaning of section 11 or 432 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997) in relation to the corporate body. In addition to such persons, corporate bodies may choose that an individual in either the second or third category of person as defined in section 1 applies for a certificate of personal fitness. The legislation does not require all three categories of person to be deemed a 'relevant officer'.
Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956
The Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956–2003 allow some limited forms of gambling. This is in order to provide a controlled outlet for people who wish to gamble. It also provides a method of fund-raising for charitable, philanthropic and other socially desirable purposes.
The forms of gambling permitted under the 1956 Act are:
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- Lotteries (excluding lotteries covered by the National Lottery Act 2013, which is under the auspices of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)
- A very limited form of gaming ('gaming' means playing a game (either of skill or chance) for money.)
For more information on gaming and lotteries, see the Review of the Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956-86 A copy of the 1956 Act is included in the review document.
The Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019, will come into effect on 1 December 2020. Information Notes for Gaming and Lotteries are available here: Information Notes for Gaming and Lotteries
Information notes for relevant licences and permits can be found here: Information Notes for Gaming and Lotteries
Previous examinations of Ireland’s gambling laws
Casino Regulation Committee
The Casino Regulation Committee was set up in August 2006 and its report was published in July 2008 under the title Regulating Gaming In Ireland (PDF - 2.11MB)
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Review of Gambling
A paper entitled Options for Regulating Gambling published in December, 2010, represented the culmination of a public consultation undertaken by the Department as part of an overall review of gambling in Ireland.
Charitable Lotteries Fund
The scheme has now ceased to operate.