Northern Ireland to review 2022 gambling reform act in 2027

Northern Ireland's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed that a full review of the territory's 2022 gambling reform will be carried out in 2027.

The pledge came in response to a question from Sinn Féin MLA Phillip McGuigan during proceedings at the Northern Ireland Assembly, according to SBC News.

Lyons said the review would examine how effectively the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Amendment Act 2022 has worked, with the aim of producing an evidence-based analysis to guide future policy.

He stopped short of committing to further legislative change, pointing to the complexity and fast-moving nature of the gambling sector as reasons to hold off on firm commitments at this stage.

"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.

He added that he had told officials to keep gathering evidence on existing statutory protections. "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 said.

Lyons's current mandate runs until May 2027, and he indicated that any further contribution he makes on gambling policy will be framed around public health.

"It is very much a health issue as well. I commit to working with the Health Minister to ensure that we can do what needs to be done to tackle it, because it has a huge impact on people's lives; on the education of our young people; and, certainly, on the physical and mental health of our population," he said.

SBC News reported that problem gambling education remains a priority concern for health officials and industry stakeholders in Northern Ireland.

A 2025 national survey of Northern Irish gamblers, though based on a small sample, suggested stigma may be deterring people from seeking help for harmful gambling behaviour. Of 1,124 gamblers surveyed, only 1% said they had contacted mental health services in the preceding 12 months.

Policymakers have previously questioned whether Northern Ireland lags behind the rest of the UK on gambling harm support. England and Wales each run specialised clinics staffed by professionals trained in treating gambling-related harm, a provision Northern Ireland currently lacks.

In England and Wales, gambling harm funding flows through statutory levies and NHS commissioning, amounting to millions of pounds each year. No comparable system currently exists in Northern Ireland.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has previously recommended such measures be adopted in Northern Ireland, a position backed by the territory's Department of Health. Experts and politicians broadly agree, however, that implementing them at scale would carry significant costs and require restructuring the existing gambling framework.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency estimates that 3% of the adult population are at-risk gamblers, a figure that underlines the policy gap officials will be weighing as they prepare the 2027 review.