Local Gambling Legislation Asked to Be Toughened Up

Local gambling legislation has been asked to be changed to reflect strict gambling measures. A Belfast Councillor, John Kyle, has shared with the media that the gambling laws in Northern Ireland are not strict enough. The Councillor has asked to have these regulations toughened up. The Councillor also shared that the local gambling legislation in its current form is not good enough to serve its aim. John Kyle also went further and shared with the media that the authorities have not done enough to make sure that vulnerable members of society are protected. These include people who find it difficult to control their gambling habits.

When the Belfast City Council convened earlier in the week, John Kyle took the opportunity to remind the Council that gambling addiction is a severe problem in Northern Ireland. According to a study conducted in 2017, more people are suffering from gambling addiction in Northern Ireland than any other part of the United Kingdom.

Local Gambling Should Urge Gambling Operators to Contribute to the Fight Against Addiction

The Belfast councillor also told the media that, in his opinion, the local gambling legislation should also encourage gambling operators to participate more in the fight against gambling addiction. He also said that gambling addiction preventative measures should be made a top priority by everyone. The councilor thinks that the contributions currently made by gambling operators to be insufficient. Therefore, he thinks there should be a compulsory tax regulation that is drafted into the local gambling legislation. He added that he is glad that gambling has become the subject of debate because the old local gambling legislation needs to be updated.

A recent study that was conducted by the Northern Ireland Office revealed that the support that is currently offered to those suffering from gambling addiction is not enough. The report stated that Northern Ireland did not have services that are specifically made available by the Health and Social Care Board. The lack of gambling addiction support for Northern Ireland residents is part of the reason why there is no data about the number of people that seek help for problem gambling.

Overview

John Kyle has insisted that problem gambling in Northern Ireland is one of the biggest challenges that is faced by modern society. He urged the Council not to ignore the issue. This means that the authorities need to make sure that the local gambling laws are stricter to protect people from addiction.

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