A Gambling Free Zone

Anyone who’s ever been to Northern Ireland can tell you one thing for sure: there’s no gambling allowed. “But wait!” you say, “I’ve played the lottery a time or two in Belfast!”. Well, according to the government and some very outdated laws, the lottery is ok. Any and all legal gambling in Northern Ireland (that is, gaming, betting with bookkeepers and amusement arcades) is subject to one horribly outdated law passed way back in 1985: the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements order. These forms of gambling are considered “ an agreement between gentlemen”, which means that the courts have absolutely no influence within the very few avenues of gambling open to the Northern Irish public. Feeling like a few hands of blackjack at a traditional casino? No chance! Brick and mortar casinos are entirely illegal within the borders of Northern Ireland. Casino games are one of the hottest topics in Northern Ireland and have been since the law was passed. Since 1985 there has been only one attempt to overhaul this law into something slightly more modern. Even though there was a plea by over forty organisations to update an ancient law that prevents the influx of earnings from gambling, the attempt never made it any further than the very first stages of enquiry.

The Black Market

As of December 2021, the trade in black market gambling in Belfast and all over Northern Ireland had reached what officials consider epidemic proportions. It seems that licensed and legal venues like bingo halls operate illicit games after closing time, bringing in vast and un-taxable sums of money. Officials believe that as the issue stands, it is too large for the local police to tackle on their own, so great is the scope of the problem. While the legislation is being addressed in some ways, it is not being changed fundamentally to include more lenient laws regarding what games may be played on Northern Irish soil. The amendments currently being discussed are ones that will allow officials the power to create new offence titles for any arcade operator who is caught, allowing minors to play legal gambling games.

The proposed amendments to the current gambling laws also call for the definition of cheating to be expanded to include attempted cheating, making any contracts entered into while gambling legally enforceable and, to everyone’s surprise, allowing bingo halls and bookies to operate on holy days like Good Friday and Sundays. So that’s a tiny shuffle in the “right” direction, we suppose. Playing in a brick and mortar casino? Still not on the cards for Northern Ireland any time soon. The highly conservative laws making it this far into the 21st century has left many Irish men and women scratching their heads but has left many others with a sense of peace and calm, knowing that there is one less vice available to their friends.

Regulation

With what is considerable change on the horizon (for Northern Ireland, anyway), there have been many calls to establish an independent regulatory body to watch over the shifts and the industry in general. Almost four hundred enterprises have responded with a strong YES when asked if they feel that setting up a Northern Ireland gambling regulator is necessary. The government got more than they bargained for during this survey, however, as 60% of the respondents expressed the view that land-based casinos should be allowed to operate in Northern Ireland. Naturally, there will always be pushback from a conservative majority who claim, perhaps rightly perhaps not, that land-based casinos would allow gambling addiction to flourish unchecked.

How About Online?

Thankfully for Northern Irish gamblers, they may play in any online casino they like, to their heart’s content…as long as it’s based somewhere other than Northern Ireland. Since the world of online gambling has grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade, particularly over the last two years, while many of us have been cooped up in our homes for long stretches of time, Northern Irish gamblers will have no shortage of choices. There are thousands of online casinos to choose from, offering everything from slot games to live poker to craps.  If you’re feeling a little lonely playing online casino games all by yourself, why not use a private room and have all your friends “over” for a few hands of poker or blackjack? While nothing beats the feeling of sitting around a table with your friends, having a delicious drink and a good laugh while you play cards, it’s better to operate within the bounds of the law and work within the system that Northern Ireland has in place for gambling.

Final Word

So, will Belfast and the rest of Northern Ireland see any significant change in gambling laws soon? It’s unlikely. This means that, for the foreseeable future, at least, the people of Northern Ireland will have to stick to online casinos or a good old fashioned game of bingo if they feel the need to gamble.