Latest news with #GamblingSurveyforGreatBritain
Scotsman
17-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
How Labour is protecting National Lottery monopoly – and costing good causes up to £132m
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I wouldn't describe myself as a mug punter; I may be a mug, but I'd have to gamble a bit more to be descried as a punter of any description. I don't do the lottery, don't put on bets to pep up football on the telly and, with occasional exceptions, only back the gee-gees when I'm at a meeting. It's hard to beat a day at the races when the weather is as glorious as it has been this summer, and not for nothing is horse racing Britain's second-biggest spectator sport behind football, with just under five million racegoers a year. I was at York last month with a gang of old journalism college mates, one of whom has made something of a career as a tipster and knew one of the winning owners. Champagne? Don't mind if I do. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The excitement of winning is hard to beat, but it's also not difficult to appreciate the danger of chasing losses. And in a week when Labour government policies have put unemployment up to a four-year high and with inflation rising, we all need some cheering up but it's also understandable if more people seek easy ways to escape a financial hole. The UK Government seems determined to look after the interests of the National Lottery (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images Problem gambling Fears about problem gambling have grown, largely due to high-profile stories of professional footballers getting into deep trouble – young men with lots of money and nothing better to fill their days after training – and, at the opposite end of the scale, are fixed-odds machines in bookies' shops in run-down estates, snaring people with no money to spare. Last year's Gambling Survey for Great Britain, in which Glasgow University researchers questioned 10,000 adults, indicated the UK could have as many as 1.3 million problem gamblers. With this in mind, the UK Government recently paused a plan to relax regulations for high street 'adult gaming centres', which currently limits the number of machines paying out £500 jackpots to a fifth of the total in the shop. Operators argue this so-called 80/20 rule limits growth because players tend not to use the 80 per cent of machines with pay-outs capped at £100. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Meanwhile, new legislation has been passed for England and Wales to tighten casino operations, slashing the number of machines from a Vegas-style maximum of 1,250 to just 80. It's all a long way off from the super casinos the Tony Blair government hoped would give a boost to old seaside resorts like Blackpool. This new conservative approach is also affecting lotteries, but for very different reasons. Far from wanting to protect the public from evil, the Labour government has decided to shield the National Lottery – operated by Allwyn, the international 'lottery-led entertainment company' which won the franchise from Camelot last year – from stronger competition, despite its own evidence showing that millions more could be donated to good causes if lottery rules were changed. People's Postcode Lottery At the heart of the argument is the Edinburgh-headquartered People's Postcode Lottery (PPL), by some way the UK's biggest operator after the National Lottery, and the only one affected by a current £50 million cap on annual ticket sales. PPL has been arguing for the limit to be raised to £100m, and a report commissioned from independent economics consultants for the Department of Media, Culture & Sport confirmed that PPL's ticket sales would grow by between £51m and £477m, which would generate charitable donations of between £17m and £157m. The downside, they say, is that the competition could reduce National Lottery sales (currently just over £8 billion) by between £25m and £148m and reduce its support for good causes from anything between £5m and £30m. As the report acknowledges, the simple arithmetic shows that lifting the ticket sales limit should result in a minimum boost for donations of £16m, and a potential to produce an extra £132m, a 6.5 per cent increase. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The official argument is that if the ticket limit was raised, it would allow the PPL to use higher sales to increase its prizes and so encourage more players to switch from the National Lottery. But the PPL points out that separate legislation fixes the maximum prize to £500,000. Of course there is a strong argument lifting for that too, given the twice-weekly Euromillions draw, run here by Allwyn, guarantees ten UK players will win £1m. PPL also points out that the government has decided not to regulate big commercial prize draws like Omaze (million-pound houses for a minimum £10 entry) and Raffle House (a £10 ticket could win you a £3m Home Counties house and a £65,000 Porsche) as if they don't have an impact on the National Lottery. Government protectionism? At a time when Third Sector organisations are desperate for money, it might have been expected that the opportunity would have been embraced with enthusiasm, but instead the government has decided to keep the ceiling as it is, primarily because of a fear that the Exchequer will lose up to £18m in lottery duty from Allwyn and 'remove one of the policy levers available to government to protect the National Lottery and the funding it raises'. Yet, the official report acknowledges that when the ticket sales limit was lifted from £10m to the current £50m in 2020, the same fear that the National Lottery would suffer turned out to be wide of the mark and, according to the Gambling Commission, National Lottery sales grew by £1.2bn between 2017 and 2022. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Recovering gambler urges others to not 'suffer in silence'
A recovering gambling addict is urging others to not "suffer in silence" as new official figures reveal that problem gambling levels in Northern Ireland remain at a similar level as before. Stephen Kerr said his addiction started when he was 15 years old, by 18 he was a "full-blown gambling addict". Two years later he was in a rehabilitation facility. "It started off small and just kept growing and growing, I've lost thousands," Mr Kerr told BBC News NI. Problem gambling is gambling which compromises, disrupts or damages the individual or their family, as well as their daily life and career. Northern Ireland has the highest rate of problem gamblers in the United Kingdom, based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). In 2024, 3% of respondents in Northern Ireland were considered to be a problem gambler, the Northern Ireland Research Agency (NISRA) has revealed. This figure is similar to that in previous years: in 2016, problem gambler levels in Northern Ireland were at 2% and 3% in 2010. Across England, Scotland and Wales, 2.5% of respondents in 2023 were found to be problem gamblers, according to the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). The PGSI assesses how prevalent problem gambling is within a population. It asks respondents to assess their own gambling habits over the previous 12 months. The questions are then scored and any total PGSI score above eight puts the individual in the "problem gambler" group. Mr Kerr, who was a champion runner for Ireland in the European Cross Country, has been recovering from his gambling addiction for more than 15 years. Despite rehab intervention, Mr Kerr, like many addicts, found himself battling multiple addictions including alcohol and drugs. In 2021 he sought further help from Cuan Mhuire which he credits with saving his life. Mr Kerr described gambling addiction as a "weird one" compared to alcohol and drug addictions because it can be so easily hidden. The 32 year old said that having good people around him has been key to his recovery. Going forward Mr Kerr said he would like to see greater support for those affected and encouraged women to talk more about gambling addiction to help address the stigma associated with the illness. "An addiction's an addiction, you're sick, you need help and once you reach out then you have to grab it with both hands." Mr Kerr has used social media to reach out and support people going through addiction. "Don't suffer in silence, reach out, but reach out to the right people, be it to gamblers anonymous groups or somebody going through recovery online. "Don't wait to hit rock bottom for every rock bottom is a trap door," he said. In 2024, 57% of surveyed adults said they gambled in the last 12 months, which is a decrease from the 2016 and 2010 survey, the Nisra study suggests. The most popular method of gambling in 2024 was in-person with National Lottery draw tickets being the most common gambling type. Despite new laws in 2022 allowing betting shops and bingo halls in Northern Ireland to open later on a Sunday, 89% of surveyed adults said they have never bet on a Sunday. The current laws contained in the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order date back to 1985 There is no single independent regulatory body for gambling in Northern Ireland Courts and councils license gambling activities, the Department for Communities is responsible for track betting licences and enforcement lies with the police The 1985 order predates the development of the internet and therefore contains no provisions relating to online gambling NI consumers are offered some protection through laws in Great Britain There are also no provisions requiring the gambling industry in NI to make any contribution to funding support services for problem gambling NI laws were last updated in 2022 to allow for extended opening hours for bookmakers and bingo halls 'We went to the bookies after school until doors shut' 'Strong support' for NI gambling regulator Gambling laws 'could have saved our son's life'
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
NI gambling: Recovering addict urges others to seek support
A recovering gambling addict is urging others to not "suffer in silence" as new official figures reveal that problem gambling levels in Northern Ireland remain at a similar level as Kerr said his addiction started when he was 15 years old, by 18 he was a "full-blown gambling addict". Two years later he was in a rehabilitation facility."It started off small and just kept growing and growing, I've lost thousands," Mr Kerr told BBC News NI. What is problem gambling? Problem gambling is gambling which compromises, disrupts or damages the individual or their family, as well as their daily life and Ireland has the highest rate of problem gamblers in the United Kingdom, based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI).In 2024, 3% of respondents in Northern Ireland were considered to be a problem gambler, the Northern Ireland Research Agency (NISRA) has figure is similar to that in previous years: in 2016, problem gambler levels in Northern Ireland were at 2% and 3% in England, Scotland and Wales, 2.5% of respondents in 2023 were found to be problem gamblers, according to the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). What is the PGSI? The PGSI assesses how prevalent problem gambling is within a asks respondents to assess their own gambling habits over the previous 12 questions are then scored and any total PGSI score above eight puts the individual in the "problem gambler" group. Mr Kerr, who was a champion runner for Ireland in the European Cross Country, has been recovering from his gambling addiction for more than 15 years. Despite rehab intervention, Mr Kerr, like many addicts, found himself battling multiple addictions including alcohol and drugs. In 2021 he sought further help from Cuan Mhuire which he credits with saving his life. 'Don't wait to hit rock bottom' Mr Kerr described gambling addiction as a "weird one" compared to alcohol and drug addictions because it can be so easily 32 year old said that having good people around him has been key to his forward Mr Kerr said he would like to see greater support for those affected and encouraged women to talk more about gambling addiction to help address the stigma associated with the illness."An addiction's an addiction, you're sick, you need help and once you reach out then you have to grab it with both hands."Mr Kerr has used social media to reach out and support people going through addiction."Don't suffer in silence, reach out, but reach out to the right people, be it to gamblers anonymous groups or somebody going through recovery online."Don't wait to hit rock bottom for every rock bottom is a trap door," he said. What else did the statistics reveal? In 2024, 57% of surveyed adults said they gambled in the last 12 months, which is a decrease from the 2016 and 2010 survey, the Nisra study most popular method of gambling in 2024 was in-person with National Lottery draw tickets being the most common gambling new laws in 2022 allowing betting shops and bingo halls in Northern Ireland to open later on a Sunday, 89% of surveyed adults said they have never bet on a Sunday. What are NI's gambling laws? The current laws contained in the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order date back to 1985There is no single independent regulatory body for gambling in Northern IrelandCourts and councils license gambling activities, the Department for Communities is responsible for track betting licences and enforcement lies with the policeThe 1985 order predates the development of the internet and therefore contains no provisions relating to online gamblingNI consumers are offered some protection through laws in Great BritainThere are also no provisions requiring the gambling industry in NI to make any contribution to funding support services for problem gamblingNI laws were last updated in 2022 to allow for extended opening hours for bookmakers and bingo halls
