Allwyn, the UK national lottery operator, has slammed plans to amend Northern Ireland’s gambling laws so that other competitions such as The People’s Postcode Lottery can operate in the region.
The iGaming operator claims vital funding to local communities and charities will be jeopardized if the framework is changed.
Northern Ireland is a constituent part of the United Kingdom, together with England, Scotland, and Wales, but it operates a distinct legal system where the UK-wide Gambling Commission has no jurisdiction.
This status creates a local situation bound by local laws, while there is an argument for modernisation.
The current situation means there are no legal, regulated casino venues in Northern Ireland (except for limited provisions in small, retail gaming outlets), while there is no opening for national lottery game providers such as The People’s Postcode Lottery.
The National Lottery and Allwyn effectively have a monopoly in the province, but despite the benefit to charities and the community sector, that could be about to change.
Alliance Party representative Sian Mulholland has commenced a public consultation on the private members’ bill she introduced in Northern Ireland’s devolved legislature. It aims to amend the current gambling laws so that The People’s Postcode Lottery can enter NI.
The entity has claimed it would raise around £25 million ($32.8m) for local charities over the first five years, then £7m every following year.
However, such an entry to the market would impact the revenue and output of the National Lottery, including physical retail outlets where players buy their tickets.
Gillian Taylor, Director of Communications at Allwyn, relayed their position, stating:
“The National Lottery changes lives in Northern Ireland every day. It has so far made more than £1.5 billion in National Lottery funding for charities, individuals, and organisations.
“It has created 195 millionaires and every day supports around 1,500 mostly local shops generating much needed footfall, sales and income for shopkeepers at the heart of the community, helping to keep them alive in a way that online-only lotteries like The People’s Postcode Lottery cannot and will not.”
“These proposals will cost millions of pounds to National Lottery-funded charities and retailers. As experience in Great Britain shows, the operation of industrial-scale society lotteries has reduced the funding for National Lottery Good Causes and the public purse by £1 billion over 10 years.”
“The Northern Ireland lottery framework has successfully delivered National Lottery funds to places that really need it for 30 years in a sustained, long-term way with local funders who are part of their local communities and who understand their needs. It is a model that really works. We believe that changing this landscape – with the possible introduction of the People’s Postcode Lottery and other industrial scale society lotteries – puts all of that long-term stability at risk.”
We have the power to boost funding for our local charities by millions.
Today, @sianalliance joined @MalcFleming from @PostcodeLottery and @RachelKirbyR from @YLvsCancer to launch the consultation for her PMB, 'Lotteries for Communities'.
Check it out: https://t.co/LSSTQ4PN6H pic.twitter.com/hvxzBRGzly
— Alliance Party (@allianceparty) May 9, 2025
Into alignment with the rest of the UK: Mulholland
Until 2022, retail gambling shops were not permitted to open on a Sunday in Northern Ireland. An archaic system also heavily prohibited the sale of alcohol at certain times of the year, including Easter.
In the rest of the UK, gambling is underpinned by the Gambling Act 2005, which created the Gambling Commission. With the introduction of the regulator, a framework was set up to reflect the modern realities of online gambling, casinos, and slots.
Conversely, Northern Ireland still largely operates in adherence to the 1985 Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Order, based on older legislation from the 1960s in Great Britain.
Some aspects have been repealed, but the general framework still applies, which is not fit for the contemporary gambling sector.
Mulholland’s bill could be about to shake up the legislation, and present a challenge for Allwyn, with public consultations to take place across Belfast, Ballymena, and Enniskillen over the next three months.
The Alliance Party MLA said: “Large society lotteries have already proven to be highly successful in Great Britain and across Europe, raising millions in vital funds for good causes in local communities. This proposal aims to introduce legislation that would bring Northern Ireland into alignment with the rest of the UK and allow them to operate here as well.”
Image credit: People’s Postcode Lottery
