Dealing With Problem Gambling in Northern Ireland

by James Gibson, 4 March 2026

Efforts are being made to deal with problem gambling in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s gambling problem is worse than the rest of the UK. © K. Mitch Hodge, Unsplash

Key Facts:

• Of the UK’s four constituent countries, Northern Ireland has the worst problem gambling figures
• Some 3% of regular gamblers can be classed as having a serious problem
• Various efforts are being made to deal with the issue and offer support

In an episode of Up Close entitled Gambling Addiction, the focus was on problem gambling in Northern Ireland. Of those who gamble regularly in Northern Ireland, roughly 3% can be classed as having a serious problem.

The episode included interviews with former gambling addicts and people in high-up positions who can bring about change. One of the people with an addiction spoken to is Declan, who ended up with £30,000 of debt.

His gambling problem was so severe that he once lost £8,500 in a matter of hours. Nowadays, he happily educates others on the harms of online gambling while working on his own recovery.

Another, Oison McConville, talked about how he became addicted at the age of 14. He started gambling to deal with emotional issues and because everyone else was doing it. He was properly addicted by the age of 17.

His addiction progressed over time. He ended up borrowing money from others and said at the worst stage, he was both emotionally and financially bankrupt. Aaron Hogg, also a former gambling addict, talked about the impact of mobile gambling.

He said that as well as going to the bookies and spending a few hours there, he would gamble on his phone at home. The quick fix of mobile gambling made his gambling problem worse.

Both McConville and Hogg spoke about how they managed to turn things around. They mentioned that their gambling problems were affecting work as well as relationships, family and friends.

Comments from Organisations

Sinead Campbell, Head of Money, Debt & Quality Advice NI, said that in the last few years, around 450 people with £2 million of gambling debt came to the organisation for help.

The 2025 figures were double those of 2024, which Sinead puts down to a shift in gambling demographics. More people, she said, are getting involved in gambling because of the quick fixes it can offer.

Reporter Nathan Hanna asked the Betting & Gaming Council for an interview on the subject of problem gambling, though no one was available. However, the council did release a statement on gambling in the UK.

In this statement, it was said that 20 million people in the UK place at least one bet every month. Most of these gamble safely and responsibly. Less than 1% have a problem with gambling.

The figure of less than 1% is considerably higher in Northern Ireland, where roughly 3% of gamblers are believed to have a problem. The Betting & Gaming Council also supports the statutory levy.

This was implemented last year and is expected to raise around £100 million from gambling companies. The money will be used to research gambling addiction prevention and to fund treatment programmes for the most serious of cases.

Paddy Power was also mentioned but was unable to arrange an interview with a representative. The company released the following statement:

We take the issue of safer gambling incredibly seriously and invest millions to support the work of almost 500 colleagues in our customer safety team.– Paddy Power, Paddy Power comments on responsible gambling approach, ITV

The Gambling Black Market

Alex Wood, a government advisor, appeared on the programme to talk about illegal gambling. He said that the black market has ‘exploded’ due to operators in various overseas countries obtaining dodgy licences.

A problem he pointed out is that a site can claim to be licensed and gain players’ trust, even if it’s not properly licensed in Northern Ireland or the UK. Some players will check where a licence has come from.

However, not everyone does this. Many people think that if a site has a licence, it must be safe to join, no matter where the licence comes from. They end up joining sites that could be dangerous.

Roughly 9% of online gambling is done at sites that don’t have the right licensing in place. Wood suggested geoblocking to prevent people in the UK and Northern Ireland from accessing black-market sites.

He urged people to check that a site is licensed in their local jurisdiction before signing up and playing. Unregulated sites, he said, often have excessively high wagering requirements, unfair odds and obscure terms and conditions.

Education and Reasons for Gambling

People on the programme talked about how gambling addiction is such a widespread problem these days. Education was mentioned as an important tool to prevent people from developing serious gambling problems.

The large, constantly growing number of gambling opportunities and readily accessible mobile sites and apps were also mentioned as problems. Other factors behind the rise in gambling addiction include social pressure and targeted advertising.

Education was mentioned several times as a key tool in tackling problem gambling. Having someone to talk to was also highlighted as something that could greatly help people dealing with gambling-related issues.