The Christian Institute has strongly condemned plans to expand ‘society’ lotteries in Northern Ireland, as former prime minister Gordon Brown calls for greater tax on gambling companies.

Society lotteries are lotteries where a proportion of proceeds go towards charity and community initiatives. However, many Christian charities have donation rules preventing them from receiving money from companies that promote gambling.

Currently, only ‘small’ society lotteries are able to operate in Northern Ireland. The Lotteries for Communities bill, put forward by the Alliance Party’s Sian Mulholland, aims to permit large society lotteries to run. Alliance claims this will “unlock” funding for community projects.

It comes as Gordon Brown urges a UK tax hike on gambling, insisting that the Chancellor should use the proceeds to tackle child poverty.

“Gambling is a huge problem for our society,” said James Kennedy, the Christian Institute’s Northern Ireland policy officer.

He told Premier Christian Radio that even if some of its proceeds go towards charity, betting is “not a benefit to anyone”.  

Furthermore, research by the Christian Institute suggests that once advertising costs are paid and gift aid is accounted for, there is little benefit to community organisations in receiving money from lottery companies, compared with typical grants or donations.

“It used to be thought that society lotteries were a ‘lower risk’ form of gambling,” Kennedy told Premier. “But research by Westminster itself shows that half of those who participate in society lotteries are at high risk of gambling [addiction] harm.”

Research also indicates that society lottery companies spend a similar amount of money on advertising, as they do on social initiatives.

“Northern Ireland is the same as the rest of the UK in this,” said Kennedy. “We can’t afford to see endless amounts of money wasted in the gambling sector. It’s a harm to us all… we need to reduce the amount of advertising in this sector.”