Northern Ireland Online Gambling

• Online Gambling Northern Ireland
• Northern Ireland Online Gambling Real Money
• Northern Ireland Online Gambling Sites
• Northern Ireland Online Gambling Websites

Online gambling isn’t currently covered by Northern Ireland’s existing gambling laws, which were crafted in 1985, although the government does little to deter residents from visiting online. The UK gambling watchdog and the industry it regulates have been criticised by lawmakers after an article claimed Google searches for online casinos increased significantly after gambling venues. Republic, Northern Ireland Political Party Capitalises On Success To Push Gambling Modernisation. You can unsubscribe at any time. Up to 40,000 people in Northern Ireland may have a gambling problem, according to a submission by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to a public consultation on.

Northern Ireland's gambling legislation dates back to 1985 and critics argue it is not in line with with the digital age. READ MORE: Pubs, cafes and hotels reopen in Northern Ireland. Gambling Laws in Northern Ireland For the rest of the United Kingdom, laws about real money gambling online are pretty clear cut. In Northern Ireland though, they aren’t quite as clear. This is because there hasn’t been an update to Northern Irish gambling laws since the 1980s – way before online gambling rose to popularity.

A Northern Irish government department has confirmed that it will launch a public consultation on the creation of a new gambling policy and the effects of problem gambling.

The consultation will form the basis of the advice which will be given to the next minister for communities, who will form a new gambling policy once the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly reconvenes.

“The Department for Communities is responsible for policy and legislation relating to gambling and keeps all legislation for which it is responsible under regular review,” the spokesperson explained, as reported by iGaming Business.

“The Department intends to carry out a public consultation, to include all stakeholders, on gambling issues in the near future. This preparatory work will ensure that an incoming minister can make a decision on the way forward on gambling as soon as possible after he or she takes up post.”

Stormont collapsed back in 2017, which has meant that Northern Ireland has not seen any new legislation regarding gambling passed in recent years. Industry operators across the country, however, have voluntarily agreed to implement the £2 maximum stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs).

As it stands, Northern Ireland is currently regulated under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and not the Gambling Act 2005. It is hoped that the public consultation will help gain an insight into the policies needed to combat problem gambling in the country.

Online Gambling Northern Ireland

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.

Northern Ireland Online Gambling Real Money

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:

• 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

Northern Ireland Online Gambling Sites

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)

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

Northern Ireland Online Gambling Websites

The scheme has now ceased to operate.