The government of Northern Ireland is seriously considering a series of laws that would seriously limit gambling advertising in public spaces. It’s an ambitious move that’s being backed both by Sin Fein, as well as a plurality of the people of Northern Ireland.
Both online and land-based operators would be impacted by the proposed rule changes but the lion’s share of the changes would be pointed at online operators.
Under the terms of the proposed new rules, nearly all public advertising for gambling operators would be banned. This isn’t particularly surprising given the fact that Northern Ireland’s gambling laws haven’t seen a re-write since 1985.
A broad mix of lawmakers, led by Sin Fein, is lining up behind the proposals and they’ve got the support of a large number of their constituents. According to a report on SBC News, as many as 60 percent of the country’s citizens want to see the advertising restrictions passed into law. Furthermore, fully 80 percent of the population supports a stern limit on online gambling deposits.
Ulster Unionist MLA Robbie Butler commented on the proposed changes to SBC saying, “Support for change cuts across all sections of society, with people from all political traditions uniting in demanding reform. Over the next few weeks, we will be examining what needs to be done to reduce gambling-related harms and as part of that process we will be inviting organisations and individuals to write in with their submissions.”
Lawmakers are accepting comment on the gambling proposals until the end of November.