The UK gambling watchdog and the industry it regulates have been criticised by lawmakers after an article claimed Google searches for online casinos increased significantly after gambling venues. Republic, Northern Ireland Political Party Capitalises On Success To Push Gambling Modernisation. A review of Northern Ireland's gambling laws was announced by the Northern Irish Executive in January 2013, but change never materialised. In more recent times, Northern Ireland has been without a functioning devolved administration after the last Northern Ireland Executive collapsed in early 2017. This has further delayed any legislative reforms. Provisions which relate to online gambling. The introduction of any measures to address online gambling will require primary legislation in the Assembly. As a result of the 2014 Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act, it is an offence for an online gambling operator to advertise to Northern Ireland consumers unless the operator holds the. He added that nine out of 10 respondents supported a regulatory body for gambling in Northern Ireland. But Mr McAvera also said three-fifths of respondents believed the law should be amended to. Northern Ireland gov't releases results of public consultation showing broad support for casinos, online gambling and betting shops opening on Sundays.
If you’re looking for an online casino, Northern Ireland has a huge number of different ones to offer, featuring all of the games you’re ever likely to want. We know that choosing the best online Northern Ireland casino can be tough though, which is why we’ve done the hard work for you. Once you’ve read through all of our reviews, you’ll be able to pick the casino that is just right for you, and start playing in a matter of minutes. Alternatively, you can head straight to the team's #1 choice, Betway Casino.
- Find the very best Northern Ireland casino online
- See if you need to pay taxes on your winnings
- Understand how gambling is regulated in NI
UK’s Top Casino Sites in 2020
100% up to £250 T&C applyOnline Gambling Northern Ireland
100% up to £20 T&C apply
Payout Speed3-5 DaysCompatibilityNorthern Ireland Online Gambling Advice
Play NowComing Soon
Gambling Laws in Northern Ireland
For the rest of the United Kingdom, laws about real money gambling online are pretty clear cut. In Northern Ireland though, they aren’t quite as clear. This is because there hasn’t been an update to Northern Irish gambling laws since the 1980s – way before online gambling rose to popularity. In practice though, these differing rules and regulations don’t mean that Northern Irish players can’t play online, and many do exactly that each and every day.
One big difference is the fact that the Gambling Commission isn’t responsible for regulating real money online gambling in Northern Ireland, as it is in the rest of the United Kingdom. Instead, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the Department for Social Development. It is still good practice to look for the Gambling Commission logo on any site though, as it is a benchmark for honesty and integrity within the online gambling world.
If you’re looking for an online casino, Northern Ireland has a huge number of different ones to offer, featuring all of the games you’re ever likely to want.
The Tax Situation for Northern Irish Players
The laws surrounding real cash gambling in NI are antiquated, to say the very least. This means that it is often really difficult to work out how they affect online players. This is certainly the case when it comes to paying tax on gambling winnings. The vast majority of Northern Irish players would never consider declaring any winnings to HMRC though, and there aren’t any recent cases of HMRC pursuing those who have won at a casino online. This suggests that the taxation laws are now interpreted as being pretty much the same as the rest of the UK – which is a great thing for those using online casino sites in Northern Ireland.
Blacklisted UK Casinos - What You Should be Avoiding
- Blacklisted
Cherry Red Casino
Ongoing payment problems
- Blacklisted
Cirrus Casino
Series of casino payout problems
- Blacklisted
Euro City Casino
Ongoing payment problems
The Most Popular Games for Northern Irish Players
Real cash casino players from Northern Ireland have a full choice of games to play, thanks to the comprehensive number of online casinos available to players. When it comes to the most popular game though, the answer is clear: it’s slots, just like it is everywhere else in the UK. This is because slots are the game with the greatest variety, as well as the game with the biggest jackpots. Live casino games are also really popular, and are only going to grow in popularity in the coming months and years.
When it comes to other games that are popular with Northern Irish players, they include all of the table games, namely craps, baccarat, blackjack and poker. Video poker and roulette (which now both come in many different varieties) are also extremely popular. Regardless of the game you enjoy playing the most though, you’re almost certain to find it when you play at a Northern Ireland online casino.
We’ve Found the Top Northern Ireland Online Casinos
If you’re looking for the top online casino in Northern Ireland, there’s no need to spend ages looking around all of the different sites. Instead, you simply need to read through our reviews, which will let you know the strengths and weaknesses of each of them. Remember: we aren’t attached to any casino, so we’re under no pressure to write good reviews. This means that you can completely trust anything that we have to say.
- Enjoy a huge free bonus of up to £1000
- Numerous simple options for quick cashouts.
- Plenty of regular bonuses & attractive promotions.
PAYMENT METHODS
Get Your £1000 Bonus at Betway Now!T&C applyRegulation of online gambling is done by the Department for Social Development, and not the UK Gambling Commission, as it is in Britain.
It’s the same as anywhere else in the UK – 16 for those looking to play the National Lottery, football pools and scratchcards, and 18 for everything else.
There are not many online casinos based in Northern Ireland, due to tough licensing requirements. Players can still easily play at internet betting sites based overseas though.
While the law is slightly complex, it is generally accepted that, like British players, those in Northern Ireland will not need to pay any tax on their winnings.
There are a few, but as previously mentioned, the licencing regulations mean that casinos are more likely to be based overseas, particularly in places considered as tax havens.
Related Pages
The Gambling Control Bill was approved by Government in July 2013. This Bill will, upon enactment, repeal all extant gaming and betting legislation, with the exception of that governing the National Lottery.
The General Scheme of the Bill is with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government (OPC) awaiting drafting.
Betting Act 1931
The Betting (Amendment) Act 2015 was commenced on 15th April 2015. This legislation amends the Betting Act 1931 and provides for the licensing of remote (on-line) bookmakers and betting intermediaries for the first time.
Applications for certificates of personal fitness from remote operators, and terrestrial bookmakers not ordinarily resident in the State, are to be made to the Minister for Justice, following the placement of an advertisement in two daily, national newspapers. The advertisement and the application form are to be in a specified format. You can access these at the link below:
Terrestrial out of State Operators
Remote Operators
Applications for certificates of personal fitness from terrestrial bookmakers ordinarily resident in the State are to be made to a Superintendent of An Garda Síochána. The newspaper advertisement and application form for such operators can be accessed at the following link
Terrestrial Irish Operators
The application form in all instances details the information that is to be submitted in support of an application. It should be noted that an application will not be considered until such time as all such information has been received.
'relevant officer' of a corporate body is defined in section 1 of the 1931 Act as amended by section 2 of the 2015 Act. The first category of person who must apply for a certificate of personal fitness is he or she who exercises control (within the meaning of section 11 or 432 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997) in relation to the corporate body. In addition to such persons, corporate bodies may choose that an individual in either the second or third category of person as defined in section 1 applies for a certificate of personal fitness. The legislation does not require all three categories of person to be deemed a 'relevant officer'.
Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956
The Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956–2003 allow some limited forms of gambling. This is in order to provide a controlled outlet for people who wish to gamble. It also provides a method of fund-raising for charitable, philanthropic and other socially desirable purposes.
The forms of gambling permitted under the 1956 Act are:
- Lotteries (excluding lotteries covered by the National Lottery Act 2013, which is under the auspices of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)
- A very limited form of gaming ('gaming' means playing a game (either of skill or chance) for money.)
For more information on gaming and lotteries, see the Review of the Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956-86 A copy of the 1956 Act is included in the review document.
The Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019, will come into effect on 1 December 2020. Information Notes for Gaming and Lotteries are available here: Information Notes for Gaming and Lotteries
Information notes for relevant licences and permits can be found here: Information Notes for Gaming and Lotteries
Previous examinations of Ireland’s gambling laws
Casino Regulation Committee
The Casino Regulation Committee was set up in August 2006 and its report was published in July 2008 under the title Regulating Gaming In Ireland (PDF - 2.11MB)
Review of Gambling
A paper entitled Options for Regulating Gambling published in December, 2010, represented the culmination of a public consultation undertaken by the Department as part of an overall review of gambling in Ireland.
Charitable Lotteries Fund
The scheme has now ceased to operate.