Northern Ireland lawmakers have called on the UK government to tighten regulations on gambling ads in the area. In a letter to Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, members of Stormont’s All-Party Group on Reducing Harm Relating to Gambling emphasized the urgency of taking action to safeguard the public from harm caused by gambling.
Lagging Behind in Regulation
The MLAs highlighted Northern Ireland’s outdated gambling laws, which haven’t been updated since the internet era began. While gambling regulation is a devolved issue, the group expressed concern over insufficient legislative time to introduce reforms within the current Assembly’s mandate.
The letter stated: “Northern Ireland now stands alone as the only jurisdiction on these islands without updated gambling legislation since the advent of the internet.” The lawmakers also referenced a recent report by Maynooth and Ulster Universities that revealed young people in Ireland face “extremely high levels of gambling marketing” through sports broadcasts and social media.
=The MLAs urged Ms. Nandy to use her authority under the Gambling Act 2005 to close the gap in regulation. They pointed to Ireland’s recently passed legislation, which empowers its new Gambling Regulatory Authority to set strict controls on where and when gambling ads can appear.
The letter added: “You have the power under existing laws to prevent our children from being bombarded with gambling-related marketing during major sports broadcasts.” The MLAs believe adopting similar restrictions across the UK could significantly reduce gambling harm.
A Department for Culture, Media, and Sport spokesperson confirmed they would respond to the MLAs’ request soon.
The post Northern Ireland Lawmakers Seek UK Intervention on Gambling Ads appeared first on iGaming.org.