Committee publication · Correspondence · 15 April 2026
Correspondence with the gambling Minister, relating to gambling policy in Northern Ireland, dated 24 March and 8 April 2026.
Summary
Baroness Twycross, Minister for Gambling, responds to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee's concerns about regulatory gaps for UK-wide gambling operators in Northern Ireland. The Minister confirms the Gambling Commission regulates Great Britain only, while gambling is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. She states the Northern Ireland Executive is principally responsible for consumer protection there, and offers UK government support to strengthen local regulations.
Key findings
- Gambling Commission holds regulatory authority in Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland) only; gambling is substantially devolved to Northern Ireland under the Gambling Act 2005.
- UK-wide operators licensed by the Gambling Commission can legally advertise remote gambling in Northern Ireland but fall outside Commission regulation there, creating a regulatory asymmetry.
- Operators advertising remote gambling in Northern Ireland must hold a Gambling Commission licence and comply with UK Advertising Codes enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority.
- Northern Ireland Executive, not Westminster, is principally responsible for consumer protection in gambling within Northern Ireland.
- UK government offers support to Northern Ireland's Department for Communities to strengthen gambling regulations and improve consumer protections.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Baroness Twycross, Tonia Antoniazzi, Gambling Commission, Advertising Standards Authority, Gordon Lyons, Hilary Benn, Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Department for Communities (NI)
Notable line
“… operators benefit from access to NI, yet the Commission does not regulate their activities there.”
Key Quotes
“… operators benefit from access to NI, yet the Commission does not regulate their activities there.”
“… gambling has long been a substantially transferred subject-matter. The Gambling Act 2005 extends almost exclusively only to England and Wales and Scotland.”
“… the protection of consumers in Northern Ireland generally falls outside the remit of the Gambling Commission. In this context, the Northern Ireland Executive is principally responsible for the protection of consumers in Northern Ireland.”
“My officials stand ready to support the Social Policy Unit within the Department for Communities in their plans to strengthen gambling regulations in Northern Ireland.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗