Public Call For Regulator, Relaxation Of Northern Ireland Gambling Laws

• Nine in ten people want Northern Ireland regulatory body
• Calls to also legalise casinos, extend bookmaker hours
• Minister expected to make announcement in weeks

There is "strong support" for the creation of a gambling regulator for Northern Ireland and to generally relax gambling laws in the region, according to a public consultation.

More than nine out of ten of nearly 400 individuals and interested parties who responded to the Department for Communities consultation earlier this year support the introduction of a regulatory body for the industry. 

Unlike the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland is outside the jurisdiction of the Gambling Commission.