Tag: northern

Northern Ireland’s No Casinos: Why the Law Still Doesn’t Allow Them

Northern Ireland remains one of the few regions in Europe without legal casinos, a position that has endured despite years of debate and international trends toward expanded gambling. New statistics show that gambling participation among adults is steadily declining, with just over half reporting any gambling activity in the past year, and the lottery accounting for the majority of play. In this environment, many residents are turning to online platforms instead, with some accessing options such as casino sites not on GamStop, which are licenced outside of the UK or Ireland, to play poker and other digital games. This combination of falling participation and the availability of online alternatives helps explain why the region’s casino ban continues to hold strong.

Outdated Legislation

Controversy focuses on the Northern Ireland gambling law, which started with the 1985 Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Order. The law is criticized for being antiquated and has failed to keep abreast of how the gambling industry has evolved. The UK, in the meantime, enacted the Gambling Act 2005, providing a body of laws under which, legally, casinos can operate strictly in accordance with the rules. Northern Ireland has not made equivalent reforms.

As legislation has only had minor changes to be brought up-to-date, it is illegal for casinos to be operated in Northern Ireland, yet betting shops, bingo clubs, and gaming machines are present in other formats under licensing. Investors have been frustrated because they believe that casino resorts would facilitate more tourism, hospitality, and jobs.

Economic Arguments For and Against

Lawmakers who support legal casinos are convinced the industry would be a great economic windfall for Northern Ireland. Destinations such as Belfast or Derry could become resorts with new sources of revenue. Large-scale casino resorts could create hospitality, entertainment, and construction employment.

Opponents counter that the economic benefits are overstated. They point to the steady decline in overall gambling participation, questioning whether there would be enough demand to sustain casino venues. With fewer people gambling today than a decade ago, critics argue that casinos may not deliver the kind of economic boost their supporters claim.

Online Gambling Makes Casinos Obsolete

While land-based casinos remain prohibited, Internet gambling has been on the increase in Northern Ireland. Domestic punters have access to international websites carrying poker, slots, and sports wagering. The lack of local legislation renders it grey, and there are now calls for a more official approach to internet betting.

This reality has led some to state that the casino prohibition is symbolic as ever. If people can gamble freely on the internet from foreign operators, does not the absence of land-based casinos actually protect the public? Others assume that gambling on the internet makes the casinos irrelevant because the players just have a gigantic variety of games without needing to leave home.

Cultural and Religious Influence

Northern Ireland’s cultural heritage and past have also influenced gambling legislation. Religious organizations, especially Protestant groups, have long opposed casino gaming as morally evil. This opposition has led to policies that reflect this in the form of higher hurdles for reforms to overcome, as opposed to other areas of the UK.

Even today, campaigns by community groups and religious leaders persistently pressure politicians against opening casinos. Such cultural pressure ensures that the subject will not be addressed on economic or regulatory grounds alone.

An Unfavorable Trend Away from Gambling

Current data show that overall involvement in gambling in Northern Ireland has actually been going down. In 2010, approximately 80 percent of adults had confessed to gambling in the last year. By 2016, it had dropped to 67 percent and by 2024 to only 57 percent. The lottery remains the most common activity, with about one-third of adults still buying tickets, but other forms of gambling have dropped. These figures cut down on the argument for bringing the casinos in, as one of the primary motives for doing so has been public demand.

Looking Ahead

The question of Northern Ireland casinos remains on the table, and no sign of change is imminent in the near future. With gambling involvement already in a downturn and problem gambling still present, the government has seen no need to tackle the subject directly. Minor reforms, however, like addressing online gambling and offering enhanced protection for vulnerable players, have been prominent.

For the moment, then, Northern Ireland is alone in possessing no legal casinos, a curious contrast to the broader global liberalization of gambling. Whether that will continue into the longer term will depend upon how public opinion, cultural values, and the juggernaut forces of the digital age of gambling evolve.

 

Esri’s digital mapping system delivers savings of €5.8M to Fibrus in NI broadband rollout

Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), is today announcing that its digital mapping system has delivered savings of up to €5.8 million to broadband provider Fibrus as it accelerates broadband rollout in Northern Ireland. Fibrus is providing connectivity to 85,000 rural homes and businesses under the Northern Ireland Executive’s initiative, Project Stratum.

Using its ArcGIS technology, Esri Ireland designed a suite of integrated solutions to streamline processes throughout the entire lifecycle of planning, constructing, and maintaining fibre networks. The technology is improving cost control for Fibrus, as ArcGIS calculates precise costs for new infrastructure plans and optimises the number of potential customers in project areas.

The solution is transforming Fibrus’ operations and resulting in time savings of 500 hours per week for Fibrus, its contractors, and subcontractors. It has enhanced process efficiency by at least 50% and is enabling the company to maintain a steady rate of over 5,000 rural home and business connections every month.

Wherever they’re working, over 1,000 field operatives can view plans on digital maps, collect survey data, record cable and pole installations, and flag any issues. Data is shared in real-time to a central dashboard which is improving workflows and increasing collaboration. This has also improved data accuracy, streamlined time-intensive tasks, and decreased misinformation-related issues, enabling Fibrus to meet targets significantly faster.

Issues such as cut cables or storm-damaged poles are now promptly identified, simplifying maintenance planning and facilitating rapid repairs. Dependence on paper-based maps has been eliminated, and Fibrus also uses data collected and shared via ArcGIS online to validate contractor invoices and approve payments based on the latest construction progress information.

Riain Garcia, Senior Manager, GIS, Fibrus, said: “Esri’s system provides far greater visibility of what is happening on the ground, helping us to improve financial control, traceability, and accountability. We have already seen significant cost savings by using ArcGIS to reduce build revisits and by using dashboards to track progress instead of manual processes.”

“I don’t think we would have accomplished the exceptionally high number of connections needed for Project Stratum as fast as we did without ArcGIS. It gives everyone a one-stop shop for information on everything to do with Fibrus projects.”

Philip McLaughlin, Client Manager, Esri Ireland, said: “Fibrus is paving the way towards a more connected future. We’re thrilled to see our technology making a real difference in bringing connectivity to people and businesses throughout Northern Ireland. ArcGIS is a powerful tool which is not only impacting positively on Fibrus and its operations, but is ultimately benefiting and connecting more communities.”

Microsoft brings its Dream Space experience to Northern Ireland

Microsoft has announced the opening of its dedicated innovation and education hub, Microsoft Dream Space, in a new state-of-the-art learning centre in W5, Belfast’s award-winning science and discovery centre.

The opening of Microsoft Dream Space at the LIFE at W5 facility is an important milestone for the company as it seeks to provide 1,000,000 students, as well as their teachers, across the island of Ireland with the opportunity to engage in an immersive learning experience and develop their digital skills. This follows Microsoft’s recent announcement that it intends to invest a further €3m in the expansion of Microsoft Dream Space over the next four years.

Microsoft first opened the doors of Dream Space at its campus in Dublin in 2018. Through physical and virtual education sessions, more than 130,000 young people from across the island of Ireland have enjoyed the opportunity to learn digital skills that are increasingly important in our digital economy and society.

The fully immersive Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) experience has been developed by Microsoft in partnership with educators to inspire, encourage and challenge students to think creatively in areas such as computer science, AI, Mixed Reality, and robotics.

Since rolling out the Microsoft Dream Space experience in Northern Ireland last year with the support of W5, Microsoft has engaged close to 5,000 young people through a mix of virtual and in-person experiences. This number is expected to increase rapidly with the opening of the dedicated innovation and education hub in Belfast, unlocking new opportunities for primary and post-primary students to engage in digital skills.

Commenting on the opening, Anne Sheehan, General Manager, Microsoft Ireland said: “At Microsoft, we’re passionate about helping young people to engage in STEM learning and shift their perceptions about the role technology can play in their future career choices. With digital technology reshaping how we live, work, and learn, it is important that young people develop digital skills at the earliest opportunity. That’s why, four years ago we invested in the Microsoft Dream Space experience and just recently announced our commitment to its continued growth and expansion over the next four years.

“We’ve had many students from Northern Ireland based schools both participate in our virtual Dream Space offering and attend our hub at our campus in Dublin, however, it was always an ambition of ours to have a physical Dream Space experience in Northern Ireland. It’s great to have reached this milestone. We look forward to our continued partnership with the team at Odyssey Trust and the impact we can have together.”

Nigel Cunningham, Microsoft Northern Ireland Regional Lead added: “At Microsoft, we want to ensure that the next generation has the skills to succeed in our digital economy and society. The official opening of our physical Dream Space experience in Belfast highlights our commitment to providing students across Northern Ireland with the opportunity to engage in STEM. By working in partnership with W5 and the wider education community, we can help foster a pipeline of skilled talent in Northern Ireland that is best positioned to fill the in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow.”

In addition to the dedicated education and innovation hub at W5, the recent expansion of Microsoft Dream Space has resulted in the delivery of a suite of new offerings including Dream Space Academy for Primary; Dream Space Academy for Post-Primary; Dream Space Digital Academy, and the evolution of Dream Space Teacher and Dream Space TV.

To find out more about the Microsoft Dream Space experience and the resources available to schools and youth groups, visit: www.microsoft.com/dreamspace