Northern Ireland parliamentary group calls for tougher gambling ad restrictions

Northern Ireland assembly’s all-party group (APG) on reducing harm related to gambling is urging the British government to introduce new restrictions on gambling adverts, raising concerns that current rules are outdated.

The Republic of Ireland’s parliament passed its wide-ranging Gambling Regulation Bill on 16 October, which includes a complete overhaul of Ireland’s gambling sector, as well as new measures on restricting advertising. Now, the APG is calling for similar changes to rules in Northern Ireland, with advert restrictions among its key considerations.

New measures in the Republic of Ireland include a 5.30am to 9.00pm watershed on adverts across TV and radio. This is in addition to a de facto ban on gambling-related social media content. The bill also specifically prohibits advertising for gambling which may be attractive to children.

Legislative limitations in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s executive has only limited time in its current assembly mandate to take forward a gambling bill. The Gambling Regulation Bill was first introduced to Dáil Éireann in the Republic of Ireland on 2 December 2022 and only passed last month.

However, APG vice chair Robbie Butler MLA, said the government in Westminster can take steps to implement changes to regulations in Northern Ireland.

“Northern Ireland now stands alone as the only jurisdiction on these islands without updated gambling legislation since the advent of the internet,” Butler said. “We know that unfortunately the Northern Ireland executive does not have sufficient legislative time in this assembly mandate to take forward a gambling bill.

“However, there are steps Westminster can take now to protect the public in Northern Ireland from gambling harms.”

Protecting young people and those at risk

Butler said taking similar steps to those in the Republic will help reduce gambling related harm in Northern Ireland. This, he said, is particularly important in protecting young people and those at harm.

Specific measures in the bill include a ban on selling branded clothing or merchandise intended to be worn by children. This also applied to selling items at events that may be attended by children.

On this point, the APG makes reference to a cross-border report by Maynooth University and Ulster University, which set out how young people across Ireland are exposed to “extremely” high levels of gambling adverts through sports programming and social media content.

“The government has power under existing laws to introduce restrictions on advertising similar to those in the Republic,” Butler said. “This would prevent our children from being bombarded with gambling related marketing during sports broadcasts and those already experiencing gambling harm from being targeted by gambling companies on social media.”

The APG added: “Importantly, the new rules in Republic of Ireland put the spotlight on the urgent need for the British government to act now to protect the population in both GB and in Northern Ireland, where gambling-related marketing has become a normal part of consuming sport.”