Northern Ireland gambling reform review due in 2027, minister confirms

A full review of Northern Ireland’s Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act 2022 is due to be published next year, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed.

Lyons set out the timetable in response to a question from Sinn Féin MLA Phillip McGuigan during questions at the Northern Ireland Assembly, according to Focus Gaming News and SBC News. He said the review would assess how well the 2022 Act is working and feed into future policymaking, but stopped short of promising new legislation before his mandate ends in May 2027.

“It will be for a future Minister to determine the details of the gambling legislation that should be taken forward in the next mandate,” Lyons said. “I have, however, instructed my officials to continue to scope and gather evidence on the statutory protections that are already in place. That will help identify deficiencies that may need to be addressed through a future reform Bill, while ensuring that existing protections are maximised in the interim.”

He added that gambling is “very much a health issue as well”, and committed to working with Northern Ireland’s Health Minister on its impact on young people’s education and on physical and mental health.

Treatment gap with England and Wales

Both outlets note that Northern Ireland still has no dedicated clinic for gambling harm along the lines of those run in England and Wales, and no equivalent of Britain’s statutory gambling levy, which funds NHS commissioning and treatment services there. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended Northern Ireland adopt a similar funding model, a position also backed by its Department of Health, though the cost and scale of regulatory change required mean any move remains some way off.

Survey research published in 2025 and cited by both outlets found that stigma may still be stopping people from seeking support. Of 1,124 gamblers surveyed, only 1 per cent said they had contacted mental health services in the previous 12 months. Separate data from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, cited by SBC News, puts 3 per cent of adults in Northern Ireland at risk of gambling harm.

McGuigan has previously called for legislation to introduce a comparable levy in Northern Ireland to be brought forward more quickly. For now, officials have been instructed to keep gathering evidence on existing protections ahead of the review’s publication next year, with any decision on further reform left to whoever holds the Communities brief after May 2027.