Extract from Lords debate to take note of various aspects of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 - Sep 9
Tuesday, 10 September 2019 08:03
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Northern Ireland
Office (Lord Duncan of Springbank) (Con):...Finally, I come to
gambling. As many noble Lords will be aware, gambling legislation
in Northern Ireland differs from that in Great Britain. This report
recognises the challenges associated with the likes of online
gambling and fixed-odds betting terminals, and notes that existing
legislation has not kept pace with industry and...Request free trial
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and
Northern Ireland Office ()
(Con):...Finally, I come to gambling. As many noble Lords
will be aware, gambling legislation in Northern Ireland differs
from that in Great Britain. This report recognises the challenges
associated with the likes of online gambling and fixed-odds betting
terminals, and notes that existing legislation has not kept pace
with industry and technological changes. In addition, the report
highlights the lack of specific services commissioned by the Health
and Social Care Board to help those suffering from gambling
addiction. A high-level strategic review of gambling policy,
practice and law is currently being carried out by the Department
for Communities. I would encourage the gambling operators to work
alongside the Health and Social Care Board to ensure that all that
can be done is being done...
(DUP):...As the report before us today
recognises, the last dedicated piece of gambling legislation for
Northern Ireland was passed in 1985. In this context, I have three
main areas of concern. In the first instance, while the maximum
stake on a fixed-odds betting terminal in Great Britain was set at
£2 per spin on 1 April this year, no such legislation was
introduced in Northern Ireland. I applaud the fact that some
industry providers—Ladbrokes, William Hill, Paddy Power, Betfair,
Toals and McLeans—announced that they would voluntarily reduce the
stake from £100 to £2 in Northern Ireland on 1 April. However, not
every bookmaker operating in Northern Ireland has followed suit.
Northern Ireland’s citizens should not have to rely on the good
will of betting companies to determine the stake on FOBTs, nor
should they be left in a situation where there is inconsistency as
some betting shops voluntarily act responsibly while others do not.
This is a recipe for confusion...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
|
