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Board for Social Theology condemns Sunday Gambling proposal

Tuesday March 1st 2011

The Church of Ireland Board for Social Theology has branded proposals to allow high street gambling on a Sunday as ‘an attack on family and religious life’

The Board expressed its dismay at these proposals which come in the wake of Social Development Minister Alex Attwood’s recent plans to allow more shopping on Sundays.

In a statement the Board said: “We believe that these plans to treat Sundays, Christmas Day and Easter day like any other day of the week1 will be an affront to the majority of people in Northern Ireland who hold this day as of special significance. 

“Furthermore, his plans will not only undermine the importance of Sunday as a family, religious and recreational day but also very likely lead to an increase in problem gambling and the misery it causes families.  It is therefore difficult to construe these plans as anything but an attack on family and religious life.”

The statement continues: “The Minister has put forward the notion that more gambling will somehow benefit the local economy.  However we would be sceptical that there is good evidence for this.  There is evidence from his own department that states that people in Northern Ireland are four times more likely to be problem gamblers than in Britain2, where the amount of problem gamblers has risen 25 per cent since gambling laws were liberalised in 20073. 

“If this increase was to be repeated in Northern Ireland it could see the number of problem gamblers rise by around 10,000 in three years.4  Furthermore, his own Department’s survey shows 67.4 per cent of the public taking an unfavourable attitude to gambling and 61.1 per cent opposing opening bookmakers on a Sunday.5

“It is therefore difficult to understand the Minister’s statement that his priority is the public interest and minimising the harmful effects of gambling when the evidence from his own department suggests this proposal will be doing the opposite.”

The Board concluded: “Finally we welcome the Minister’s agreement to meet with us regarding Sunday trading and we would hope to further raise the issue of Sunday gambling at this meeting. “

References

1. Sunday Trading Press Release 13th January 2011
http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/print/news-dsd-130111-attwood-outlines-options?WT.mc_id=rss-news
           
2. The Northern Ireland Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010 identified one in 50 adults as having a gambling problem; almost four times higher than in GB.
http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/law_and_legislation/social_policy/strategic-review-gambling.htm
 
3. From 360,000 to 451,000 –an increase of 25.3%
British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010
http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/British%20Gambling%20Prevalence%20Survey%202010%20-%20Executive%20summary.pdf

4.  Current problem gambling prevalence of 2.2% an estimated population of 1.8 m for Northern Ireland in 2010 equals 39,600.  A 25% increase on this would be 9,900. Northern Ireland Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010

5. Northern Ireland Gambling Prevalence Survey 2010

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