News Release Page Title

11 July 2000

STATUS QUO RETAINED ON NI GAMBLING LAW

Minister for Social Development, Nigel Dodds, MLA today announced he has decided not to go ahead with the betting and gaming changes announced by the previous administration in 1998, pending the outcome of a wide ranging review of gambling law in Great Britain.

Outlining the reasons for his decision, Mr. Dodds said: "The proposed changes, initially raised in a 1997 consultation paper, were intended to relax legislative controls on betting and gaming including a change to allow on-course Sunday betting. Work on implementing most of the changes was subsequently suspended in anticipation of the establishment of the new Northern Ireland Assembly.

"I have now had an opportunity to consider these issues in some detail. I have decided to retain the status quo pending the outcome of a comprehensive and wide-ranging review of gambling law currently being undertaken in Great Britain which may have implications for Northern Ireland. My decision has also been influenced by the time which has lapsed since the proposals contained in the 1997 consultation paper were developed."

Concluding, Mr Dodds said: "No further action will, therefore, be taken to implement the remaining changes of those announced in 1998, nor to give further consideration to the remainder of the issues raised in the 1997 consultation paper. Any future changes which may be proposed following consideration of the GB review, will of course be subject to consultation."

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

NI review of gambling law

  1. A consultation paper published in January 1997 sought comments on a wide range of possible changes to the law on gambling matters in Northern Ireland. In 1998, Mr Tony Worthington MP (the responsible Minister at that time) announced a package of changes intended to:

    • allow on-course Sunday betting and provide employment protection rights for betting workers on tracks;

    • provide for initial applications for the grant and provisional grant of bookmaking office licences to be made to County Courts, not Magistrates' Courts as at present;

    • relax some of the existing restrictions on the operation of licensed bookmaking offices and allow the use of a maximum of two gaming machines, with all-cash prizes of up to £10;

    • remove the obsolete net annual value test for bookmaking offices;

    • allow bookmakers on tracks to take bets on any event, sporting or otherwise;

    • amend the restriction on registered pools promoters carrying on their businesses by post to take account of modern methods of transfer of information;

    • remove the restriction on the timing of association football matches (presently Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holidays) on which pools competitions may be retailed through premises;

    • reduce the notice and waiting periods for clubs seeking registration under the 1985 Order for gaming machine purposes from two years to one year;

    • remove all restrictions on the advertising of bingo;

    • allow amusements with prizes gaming machines to be operated with all-cash prizes;

    • extend the types of liquor licensed premises in which gaming machines may be operated (presently the bar areas only of public houses) to include the bar areas only of licensed hotels; as a protection, require that gaming machines in licensed premises deliver prizes directly from the machine;

    • allow gaming machines, with all-cash prizes of up to £10, to be used in licensed bingo clubs;

    • allow the occupier of a licensed track to engage in bookmaking on that track but with the safeguard that he would not be allowed to offer odds bets on the outcome of races on that track;

    • allow the use of permanent structures for bookmaking purposes on licensed tracks - to be used only when the public is admitted to the track for the purpose of attending horse or dog racing, and not to be used for bookmaking on races on that track;

    • allow the occupier of a licensed track to enter into commercial agreements for the lease of betting outlets on that track.

  2. Of the changes announced, the following requiring only subordinate legislation have been made and are now in operation:

    • extension of the types of liquor licensed premises in which gaming machines may be operated (previously only the bar areas of public houses) to include the bar areas only of licensed hotels; and

    • a relaxation of some restrictions on bookmaking offices to:

    • allow the statutory notices which set out the bookmaker's terms of trade to be visible from outside the premises;

    • extend the text permitted in advertisements on the outside of bookmaking offices to include information such as details of the facilities available, the range of bets on offer, the odds available on particular events etc; and

    • allow advertisements outside a bookmaking office to include moving displays or moving images.
     

  3. The remaining changes required primary legislation. Work on the necessary Order was subsequently suspended in 1998 in anticipation of the devolution of legislative powers to the new Assembly.

    4. Current GB gambling review

  4. The GB Gambling Review Body which began its work earlier this year, is expected to report next summer. It is considering ways of modernising the GB gambling law, taking into account issues ranging from the growth in e-commerce and technology to the social impact, costs and benefits of gambling.