Debate contribution: The Gaming (Variation of Monetary Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025

Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on 28 January 2025.

MLA

Mr Gordon Lyons

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

28 January 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

The Gaming (Variation of Monetary Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4763865

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank all the Members who contributed to the debate for the points that they have raised, and I want to address those. First, it is important to put on record again the fact that this is an overall package of measures that the Assembly agreed in 2021 when the debates first took place. Considerable progress has been made in dealing with the concerns that many people have expressed. It is important to note that we now have an offence in law. It is an offence to cause, invite or in any way permit a person under 18 to play a high-stakes gaming machine. There will be a new code of practice. That, as Mr McGuigan stated, has been consulted on. That will apply to gaming machine operators. Of course, there will be a new offence in regard to cheating and fixing machines or attempting to cheat. Those, together with the legal certainty that the order brings, will be beneficial, because there is some concern in regard to the legal position around the fixed odds betting terminals that are currently in place. There is concern about what their maximum stakes and prizes are. There is an understanding, I believe, that it is a voluntary practice that those are reduced. However, there is additional clarity now that we have advice from the Departmental Solicitor's Office. We have the Supreme Court decision as well, which will limit that to a maximum stake of £2. I will pick up first on some of the issues that Philip McGuigan addressed. One of the issues that he raised related to illegal machines. That feeds into the broader issues that he raised in relation to enforcement and responsibility. It is absolutely right that we make sure that there is a proper framework in place. I believe that that is what we have done now. Enforcement will be up to the PSNI. I want to make sure that the limits that we see are enforced and that, if illegal machines exist and are in places where they are not allowed to be by law, action is taken by the police. Certainly, if we, as the Department, receive any information about behaviour that is against the law, we have a responsibility to make sure that that is reported. We absolutely will keep an eye on enforcement. The really important point that was raised today is that we need to make sure that we enforce the laws that are in place. It is important that that is on record. It is also important to note that the biggest problem that we have with gambling relates to online gambling. That is where so much of the concern is right now. That feeds into some of the points that were raised by Mr Gaston, in particular, about the levy. I am absolutely committed to progressing the land-based levy in Northern Ireland. That is a commitment that is on me and something that I enthusiastically support. It is important that we get that funding. That funding can be used only to tackle the health-related impacts of gambling. That is why work is ongoing with my officials. The Department of Health will have work to do as well to make sure that that is progressed. We are doing everything that we can to make sure that that is taken forward. Obviously, there are different rules in place when it comes to levies in regard to online gambling because of the way in which that is regulated. The Health Minister, the Education Minister and I have been very clear that we want to see Northern Ireland get its fair share. I understand the other concerns that Mr Gaston raised. They were well debated during the passage of the last Bill. Moving into line and having consistency helps us as we attempt to tackle the issue. In fact, it was the Member's predecessor, Mr Allister, who advocated what we are talking about today. He asked during the debate:

"Where is the appetite to do something as simple as putting a £2 maximum stake on these wretched machines?" — [Official Report (Hansard), 27 September 2021, p60, col 2].

I agree, and I am pleased that that is what the regulation will do. We will have that maximum stake, and there will be no ambiguity. That should be welcomed. I understand the concerns that have been expressed. We need to take into consideration the wider package of measures that are in place and my commitment to the levy, the code of practice and the other issues that have previously been debated. I hope that that reassures Members about the action that I am taking. I say in response to Mr Carroll that a health impact screening was carried out. The proposals were included in a health impact screening of the overall legislative programme initiated in 2022. The screening concluded that, if taken together with the provisions included in the 2022 Bill, any health impacts were unlikely. I hope that that gives the Member some comfort.

I will finish, because time is tight before lunchtime. I hope that that gives Members some comfort. This is just the start of the work that we have to do to tackle the issue. It will be debated further later today, but, in the meantime, I ask Members to consider and support the regulations.

892 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:53 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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