May 1st marked a new dawn for Northern Irish high street betting shops and bingo halls as – at long last – they were permitted to open for business on a Sunday. Under the new law change Good Friday openings will also be permitted for the first time from 2023, leaving Christmas Day as the only day of the year when betting shops and bingo halls must stay closed.
A significant change for Northern Ireland’s 295 high street betting shops, the approximate 1500 workers who staff them, and of course the legions of punters.
Why Now?
The real question for many within the industry was “why not sooner?”. Betting shops in all other regions of the UK had after all been permitted to open on a Sunday afternoon since the Sunday Trading Act of 1994, with the regulations specifically relating to betting shops receiving a further update in 2005.
Northern Ireland in contrast had been lagging well behind, with the nation’s betting industry trading regulations being based upon the “Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Order (Northern Ireland)” dating all the way back to 1985.
With change seemingly long overdue, a consultation was launched in September 2019, seeing 66% of respondents back a relaxation in the rules surrounding opening hours – with most also supporting a Sunday opening proposal.
With clear support for alterations to the outdated legislation, the “Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022” was proposed by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey. Completing its final stage before the Stormont Assembly on 8th March, the bill was then referred for Royal Assent.
Given the Royal seal of approval on Tuesday 26th April, the Act was passed into law – meaning that from Sunday 1st May, premises-based bookmakers could open for business on a Sunday afternoon. In addition to the headline grabbing opening time alterations, other amendments were also contained within the bill. Most notably:
- It is now a criminal offence to allow anyone under the age of 18 to use a gaming machine -with a potential punishment of 6 months in jail.
- Betting operators must now pay a mandatory levy for their licences.
A Welcome Change
Despite surprising many with the swiftness of its passing into law, the changes were met with a positive response from those within the industry.
A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Turf Guardians’ Association (NITGA) stated that the law changes addresses “a longstanding anomaly whereby customers were able to place bets online, on a racecourse, or at a bookmaker shop across the border on Sundays but were unable to go to a bookmaker shop in Northern Ireland”.
The NIGTA also alluded to a positive move away from illegal betting, “Given that such a significant number of sporting events take place on a Sunday, demand had to be met elsewhere, including through illegal betting in pubs and clubs,”
In addition to a likely decrease in illegal betting, many foresee further potential benefits, including:
- The creation of 250 part time jobs to cover the additional opening hours.
- A decrease in excessive spend associated with online gambling.
- Helping the survival and longevity of high street operators in what is an increasingly competitive industry.
- Improved protection for underage gamblers via the stiff new penalties.
What Next?
Whilst not all operators were in a position to immediately take advantage of Sunday opening hours – due to just how quickly the new bill was passed into law – the changes seem to have been welcomed by industry professionals and punters alike, as the nation is brought into line with the rest of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland.
The bill is also touted as being just the first step in an overhaul of the nations gambling legislation, with an update to online gambling regulation rumoured to be next on the agenda.
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