Northern Ireland laws on bingo may be relaxed
September 30 2009 Categorized Under: Bingo News one Commented
Northern Ireland’s bingo halls may be allowed to open on Sunday following the announcement of a government review of gambling laws.
Northern Ireland Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie said there was a need to update current legislation which is “not robust enough to deal with modern gambling”.
The current laws date from 1985; in 2006 the government planned to update them but failed to do so after waiting for devolution to return in order to pass them.
Ms Ritchie said: “Current legislation is old, inflexible and hard to understand and the gambling market has moved on. There are new products and new ways of gambling that the current law never envisaged.
“It is in everyone’s interests that the gambling industry is regulated effectively which is why I am initiating this review.”
It is expected that the law changes will also clarify the rules on online bingo companies advertising on TV in Northern Ireland. Currently bingo companies cannot advertise on Northern Irish television.
Source: Bingonews.com
This would be really good, these old laws are just not designed for todays day and age.