Europe

Northern Irish politicians have expressed alarm at the levels of gambling harm reported in the 2024 Gambling Prevalence Survey.

One of the most significant findings is the low number of people seeking help, with just 1% of those who partake in gambling accessing support or information from betting or mental health services.

Commissioned by the Department for Communities, the survey has led Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan, Chair of The All Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling, to urge the government to take action amid a political stalemate on gambling reform.

McGuigan said: “The Minister of Health must act without delay to commission dedicated gambling treatment services. With existing addiction services already under pressure, additional funding is essential.

“The findings of this survey point to a serious gap in provision for addiction treatment in the north. The need is clearly there, but people aren’t getting the help they need.”

Concerning numbers and slow politics
A total 3% of the country’s population are experiencing what the report described as severe gambling-related harms, whilst a further 10% are considered low or moderate risk gamblers.

Another important figure to note is the amount of adults who gambled in the past 12 months who admitted to betting more than they could afford to lose, which stands at around one in seven.

McGuigan highlighted that the figures underscore the serious social and public health implications of gambling addiction.

The politician has been a vocal figure in calling for gambling reform in Northern Ireland, where the industry is governed by the decades old Betting, Gaming, Lotteries & Amusements Order of 1985,

“This isn’t just about individuals losing money; it’s about broken families, damaged relationships, and communities struggling with the fallout of gambling harms,” he continued on the findings of the prevalence survey.

Ripple effects
The survey highlighted that one in eight people admitted needing to gamble increasing amounts to achieve a high level of excitement, and nearly one in 12 said gambling had caused stress and anxiety.

Meanwhile, the survey also found that 10% of people affected by gambling had experienced the breakdown of a close relationship due to someone’s gambling.

McGuigan is now asking the Minister for Communities to bring forward the promised levy on land-based gambling operators without delay to address the funding gap.

Additionally, he has criticised the British Government for excluding Northern Ireland from the proceeds of the statutory levy on gambling operators introduced in Britain on 6 April.

Finally, the Chair has urged the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to implement tighter ad restrictions after the survey revealed 66% of respondents believe there are too many gambling promotions, and 71% support a watershed for gambling ads on TV and radio.

As stated above, McGuigan is one of the more notable politicians vocally calling for gambling reform in Northern Ireland. It was only in November last year that McGuigan urged DCMS to intervene and align online gambling advertising protections for Northern Ireland with the rest of the UK.

The demand was made by members of the All-Party Group of the Stormont Assembly on Gambling Harms Reduction, who wrote to Secretary of State Lisa Nandy to “bridge the gap on gambling advertising.”

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has confirmed that an investigation into TGP Europe culminated in the firm being issued a £3.3m penalty for due diligence and AML failures. SBC News and iGaming Expert noticed yesterday that the all 15 domain names operated by TGP Europe had ceased accepting both new and existing customers, 13 of which did so on 8 May. A key…

A list of 15 UK Gambling Commission-licensed white label brands have shut down their UK websites, fuelling speculation over the status of TGP Europe Ltd. An almost identical message across sites expressed that their products are no longer available to UK players. Of the 15 sites, 13 stated that they would no longer be accepting new or existing…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued Spreadex Limited a £2m penalty due to failings in anti-money laundering (AML) procedures and social responsibility safeguards uncovered on the Spreadex.com platform.

The fine is in lieu of a compliance assessment undertaken in July 2023, which exposed lapses across customer due diligence and harm prevention protocols. Due to failings, Spreadex must now undertake an independent third-party audit to ensure its AML and safer gambling controls are being properly enforced.

The Commission’s investigation underscored a “breakdown in risk assessment”. Spreadex was criticised for failing to consider core risk factors such as customer profiles, transaction methods and geographic exposure, as required under official AML guidance.

The investigation noted an over-reliance on customer self-reporting and a failure to request Source of Funds (SOF) documentation, even in high-stakes scenarios.

In one case, a customer deposited approximately £64,000 in a short window without prompting additional checks. The same individual went on to lose £50,000 in a month — yet Spreadex applied no enhanced due diligence.

The watchdog also highlighted the firm’s failure to adapt its scrutiny in line with changing behaviour. Repeat AML checks were applied with little regard for escalating risks, particularly in cases of growing deposits or intensified betting patterns.

On social responsibility, the report pointed to a striking example in which a customer hit a daily deposit cap of £3,340 on 12 separate days within two weeks. Despite this aggressive spend rate, Spreadex limited its response to four automated pop-up messages and failed to initiate direct, meaningful contact.

This is not the operator’s first reprimand with the regulator. In 2022, Spreadex paid a £1.36m settlement for similar AML and safer gambling failings.

John Pierce, UKGC Head of Enforcement stated: “The conclusion of this case marks the second time Spreadex Limited has been subject to enforcement action. Its failure to uphold anti-money laundering standards, delays in necessary interventions, and weaknesses in social responsibility measures were unacceptable.

“The operator placed undue reliance on customer assurances about the source of funds, rather than obtaining evidence from independent and verifiable sources, as we would expect. Operators must not only implement and maintain robust anti-money laundering policies, procedures, and controls, but also act swiftly in response to any indicators of suspicious activity.”

The UKGC confirmed it continues to coordinate with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to manage cross-sector risk, particularly where gambling overlaps with regulated financial services.

Spreadex still chasing Sporting Index
In March, Spreadex won a court order with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), to have its bid to acquire main spread betting competitor Sporting Index revised by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

At present, the CMA’s reassessment of the merger is ongoing, with no final decision made. Spreadex continues to pursue the acquisition, a merger that will remain subject to the outcome of the CMA’s renewed investigation.