The older I get, the more my inner Presbyterian asserts itself — and nowhere more so than in my loathing of gambling.Of all the addictions, gambling might just be the most ruinous. You can drink yourself into a stupor, yes, but your liver taps out eventually. With gambling, there’s no natural limit. You can lose your house, your job, your family — your entire future — in a single afternoon. Thousands gone in a few clicks.
Just try watching any sport on TV now without being bombarded by betting ads. It’s grotesque. A normal Saturday afternoon football match has become a rolling billboard for online bookies, all tailored to pull in young men with big hopes and bad odds. And it’s working — problem gambling among men under 30 is quietly exploding.
Then there’s the “respectable” end of the spectrum: the National Lottery. Scratchcards in particular are quietly wrecking lives in working-class communities. A guy I know runs a Spar in a working class part of Belfast — he reckons a third of his customers are regular scratchcard buyers. It’s a tax on desperation, dressed up as a flutter.
If we had any real decency left in society, all gambling ads would be banned outright. Fruit machines? Gone. Fixed-odds terminals? Abolished. Scratchcards? Binned. Online gambling platforms? Heavily regulated, with strict limits on losses and proper oversight. But of course, that won’t happen. The government’s too busy gorging itself on gambling tax revenues to care.
Remember when Labour governments used to put the welfare of ordinary people first?
Anyway, here is a press release on the issue that popped into my inbox:
Government gambling prevalence survey states that one in 12 gamblers experience health problems such as stress and anxiety
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan, Chair of The All Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling, has called for urgent government action following the publication of a report presenting the findings from the 2024 Gambling Prevalence Survey, commissioned by Department for Communities, which reveals alarming levels of gambling-related harm in the north.
Speaking in the Assembly, McGuigan said what is perhaps most alarming from the survey’s findings, is the low number of people seeking help. Only 1% of those who gamble reported accessing support or information from gambling or mental health services. He said: “The Minister of Health must act without delay to commission dedicated gambling treatment services. With existing addiction services already under pressure, additional funding is essential. The findings of this survey point to a serious gap in provision for addiction treatment in the north. The need is clearly there, but people aren’t getting the help they need.”
According to the ‘Prevalence of Gambling in Northern Ireland 2024’ report, 3% of the population are experiencing severe gambling-related harms, while a further 10% are considered low or moderate risk gamblers. Shockingly, approximately one in seven adults who gambled in the past year admitted to betting more than they could afford to lose. Additionally, one in eight reported needing to gamble increasing amounts to achieve the same level of excitement, and nearly one in 12 said gambling had caused health problems such as stress and anxiety.
McGuigan said: “These figures are deeply concerning and underscore the serious social and public health implications of gambling addiction. This isn’t just about individuals losing money; it’s about broken families, damaged relationships, and communities struggling with the fallout of gambling harms.”
The survey also found that 10% of people affected by gambling had experienced the breakdown of a close relationship due to someone’s gambling, highlighting the wider ripple effects of the issue.
To address the funding gap, McGuigan is also calling on the Minister for Communities to bring forward the promised levy on land-based gambling operators without delay. “Calling the Minister for Communities to introduce a levy is a fair and necessary step. The industry profiting from gambling must contribute to the prevention and treatment of gambling harm,” he said.
McGuigan also criticised the British Government for excluding Northern Ireland from the proceeds of the statutory levy on gambling operators introduced in Britain on 6 April. This levy is intended to fund research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harm.
“Online gambling operators licensed by Britain’s Gambling Commission are freely advertising and profiting here in the North,” McGuigan explained. “Yet, our population is completely excluded from the financial benefits of the statutory gambling levy on these operators. That is unacceptable. Executive Ministers must demand that the North receives its fair share of this funding.”
The survey further revealed that 66% of respondents believe there are too many gambling advertisements, and 71% support a watershed for gambling ads on TV and radio.
McGuigan is now urging the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy MP, to use her powers to implement tighter advertising restrictions, including a TV and radio watershed to limit exposure to gambling content during peak viewing times.
“The public clearly wants action. The evidence is there. We must act now to protect individuals and families from the devastating consequences of gambling addiction,” he said.
Links:
- Statement by Philip McGuigan MLA: https://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/officialreport/report.aspx?&eveDate=2025/05/13&docID=438446#4947464
- ‘Prevalence of gambling in Northern Ireland 2024’ report: https://datavis.nisra.gov.uk/communities/prevalence-of-gambling-in-northern-ireland-2024.html
- Under Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, the Minister for Communities can introduce an industry levy on licenced and permitted gambling operators.
Managing Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of any political party. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.
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