The Department for Social Development (DSD) of Northern Ireland was appointed to review the current gambling legislation of the country. It stated that only a judge has the authority to decide whether the fixed-odds betting terminals (FOTBs) that operate on the territory of Northern Ireland conform to the rules.
Earlier in February, the so-called Fairer Gambling campaign group issued an estimation on the number of betting machines that have been installed and are currently operating in the country. According to the report, there are a total of 900 such devices in betting shops across Northern Ireland. What is more, it seems that bettors annually spend hundreds of millions on these.
Fairer Gambling also pointed out that under the 2005 Gambling Act, FOTBs are legal in England, Scotland, and Wales. Yet, no similar legislation was ever approved on the territory of Northern Ireland.
DSD representatives stated that only a judge could make a decision whether the betting machines should operate in the country or not. The department commented on the fact that Northern Ireland was not able to keep pace “with technological developments in the industry” and this is why it is currently being reviewed.
DSD is also determined to limit the harmful impact gambling has on the country’s citizens as part of its review.
Adrian Parkinson, member of Fairer Gambling, shared his opinion that the regulator should not only decide whether the FOBTs are lawful or not, but also to cap them at £2-per-go, as customers are now losing more money on casino games, such as roulette, than it would be possible in an actual casino.
It is good to note that the campaign group’s estimation is only a rough one. As reported, its representatives visited a total of 35 stores and extrapolated their observations to the overall number of betting devices across Northern Ireland.
In addition, Fairer Gambling estimated that more than £100 million are annually wagered on FOBTs and the total value of all bets goes over £500 million. To put it otherwise, an average of £302 is wagered on each individual machine per day.
The results from Fairer Gambling’s study were submitted to the so-called Northern Ireland Turf Guardians’ Association, which champions the interests of the country’s bookmakers. Its representatives pointed out that the figures were based on extrapolations from the market in Great Britain, which is different than that in Northern Ireland. Not to mention that it is much more thoroughly regulated.
The Association, however, was unable to provide its own estimations.
It also commented on the fact that all bookmakers across the country are keen on promoting responsible gambling and are open to discussions concerning the implementation of changes in the current gambling legislation.
