Gambling Licences and Industry Data Northern Ireland 2022
URCDG
2023-12-20
Northern Ireland Gambling Licencing and Industry Data 2022
An Official
Statistics publication
Published by:
Professional Services Unit, Department for Communities
Frequency: Annual
Publication Date: 20th December 2023
Key points
- In 2022, there were 119 amusement permits covering 5,901 gaming machines with a maximum £25 payout and 18 amusement permits covering 377 gaming machines with a maximum £8 payout.
- There were 36 bingo club licences operational in 2022.
- In 2022, the number of bookmaking office licences that were operational was 279 and the number of bookmakers’ licences that were operational was 103.
- There were 2,185 employees in the gambling sector in 2021.
- The revenue from betting and gaming duty was £67 million in 2020-21, while gambling turnover in 2021 was £339.2 million.
Introduction
Among other policy areas, the Department for Communities (DfC) has strategic responsibility for the development of policy and legislation on gambling in Northern Ireland. Gambling in Northern Ireland is currently regulated by the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.
This is the first compendium of statistics containing information on a range of areas relating to gambling in Northern Ireland published by the Department for Communities (DfC). It is expected that this compendium will be updated annually. Data tables are available in Excel and ODS format.
Note: As this is the first report to provide this type of information on gambling published by DfC, we would particularly welcome any feedback or comments from users.
Lead Statistician: Duane Roberts
Amusement permits, gaming machines and lottery certificates
There are two types of permits for amusement premises with gaming machines, a permit with a maximum payout of £25 in cash directly from the gaming machine and a permit where the maximum value of a prize is £8, which can be paid in cash, tokens exchangeable for a non-monetary prize, or a combination of cash and tokens.
In 2022, there were 119 amusement permits covering 5,901 gaming machines with a £25 payout. This is a slight increase from 2021 figures (114 amusement permits covering 5,890 gaming machines). For the £8 amusement permits, 18 were issued covering 377 gaming machines. Comparisons with the 2021 figures shows that while the number of permits only increased slightly (17 permits) there was an increase of 100 gaming machines from 277.
A gaming machine certificate permits the holder to supply and maintain gaming machines and their mechanisms. In 2022, there were 41 gaming machines certificates operational, an increase from 26 in 2021.
A lottery certificate allows the holder to act as an external lottery consultant or manager. In 2022, there was one lottery certificate that was operational.
Track betting licences
Track betting licences are issued by DfC and are valid for seven years, provided an annual fee is paid on the anniversary of the licence issue date. After seven years,the licence expires and the track has the option to apply again for a licence, paying a licence fee when applying. No annual fee is paid in the year in which the licence is applied for.
In 2022, track betting licences covered two horse racing tracks and two dog racing tracks.
Bingo clubs, bookmaking offices and bookmakers’ licences
Bingo club licences, bookmaking office licences and bookmakers’ licences are issued by county courts and are valid for one year.
In 2022, the number of bingo club licences that were currently operational was 36, up from 26 in 2021.
A bookmaking office licence is necessary for a licenced bookmaker to run a bookmaking office. There were 279 bookmaking office licences in 2022, an increase from 248 in 2021.
The number of bookmakers’ licences that were operational in 2022 was 103, down from 107 in 2021.
VAT and PAYE Registered gambling businesses
In 2022 there were 85 VAT or PAYE registered gambling businesses in Northern Ireland, the same number as last year. The number of registered gambling businesses has remained fairly static over the 10 year period from 2013, ranging from 85 to 95.
Number of people employed in the gambling industry in Northern Ireland
In 2021, there was a total of 2,185 people employed in the gambling and betting activities industry, falling from a high of 2,573 in 2017.
Full-time jobs within the gambling and betting activities industry decreased from a high of 1,375 in 2011 to a low of 1,294 in 2013. At 2021, the number of full-time employees stood at 1,328.
The number of part-time employees in the gambling and betting activities industry had been rising steadily from 2011 to 2017, from 990 to 1,236. Since then, the number of part-time employees has fallen to a low of 857 in 2021.
Gambling turnover in Northern Ireland
Business turnover for land-based gambling and betting operators in Northern Ireland has fallen since 2016. The latest turnover estimate of £339.2 million in 2021 shows it has almost halved since 2016, when it was estimated at £760.7 million. This does not include data for online gambling operators who do not have headquarters in Northern Ireland.
Betting and Gaming Duty for Northern Ireland
Betting and Gaming Duty in Northern Ireland was estimated at £37 million for the 2000-01 financial year. Looking at the longer term, this figure shows considerable fluctuation, ranging from £19 million in 2005-06 and 2006-07, to a peak of £85 million in 2015-16. Data for the latest four years shows a fairly steady decline to £67 million in 2020-21.
Definitions and notes
Data sources
This statistical compendium makes use of a mixture of administrative data and survey data. Administrative data in relation to amusement arcade permits and the number of gaming machines is provided by each of the eleven Local Government District Councils. Administrative data in relation to the number of gambling licences held by bingo clubs, bookmaking offices and bookmakers’ licences is provided by Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Services.
Data on track betting licences is available from the Department for Communities who are responsible for the issue of such licences.
Data on VAT or PAYE registered gambling businesses is taken from the Inter Departmental Business Register (NISRA), with figures rounded to the nearest 5 due to disclosure. Please click here for Quality and Methodology Information.
Data on the number of people employed in gambling and betting activities is taken from the Business Register and Employment Survey (NISRA). Please click here for Quality and Methodology Information.
Data on business turnover for land-based gambling and betting operators was provided on request to the producers of the Northern Ireland Annual Business Inquiry (NISRA) and is based on a sample of businesses. The NIABI sample is stratified by industry sector and size of business, with all large businesses being surveyed each year. However, not all businesses respond. This is normally reported at a higher Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code level, rather than by individual SIC code. As such, caution should be exercised when using these figures as they will be based on a smaller subset of businesses within the sample. Please note that as online gambling operators may not be based in Northern Ireland, or have their head office here, they will not be included in any sample. Business Turnover is calculated based on the total value of sales and work completed by the business. Please click here for further information on the Quality and Methodology.
Data on betting and gaming duty is taken from County and regional public sector finance UK (Office for National Statistics). Betting and Gaming Duty is estimated based on the Living Costs and Food Survey which gathers data from UK households to estimate average spend across the UK. Betting and Gaming Duties consist of seven individual duties:
It is noted that expenditure on National Lottery spend, particularly scratch cards, is under-recorded so caution should be exercised when using these figures. Please click here for further information on the Quality and Methodology.
User engagement
This is the first time that a compendium report in relation to gambling has been published by DfC. We would welcome any comments and feedback via our user engagement survey. Thank you in advance.
Official Statistics
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.