The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Bill has passed the consideration stage of the Northern Irish Assembly, paving the way for a long-awaited regulatory overhaul in the province.

Sponsored by the Minister for Communities Deirdre Hargey, the Bill entered the First stage of the legislature on 14 September 2014, with the goal of updating regional betting regulatory oversight for the first time in 35 years by amending the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.

Legislators have identified greater public demand for new regulatory controls on gambling, particularly with regards to protection of young and vulnerable members of Northern Irish society as well as introducing a mandatory Code of Practice and obligations for the betting industry to fund research, education and problem gambling treatment via a betting levy.