The controversy over fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBT) has spread to Northern Ireland, where a bookmaker has been arrested for suspected violations of local gambling law.

This week, BBC Spotlight reported that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had arrested an unidentified bookmaker following an investigation into whether the FOBTs in local betting shops were operating in violation of local laws.

The PSNI has reportedly urged the Public Prosecution Service to prosecute the bookie on two counts: charging a player of a gaming machine an amount in excess of that permitted, and permitting a player of a gaming machine to receive excess winnings.

Northern Ireland may be part of the UK but gambling is one of the responsibilities ‘devolved’ to local authority, and Northern Ireland hasn’t updated its gambling laws since 1985. Under that 1985 law, the maximum stake on gaming machines is capped at 30p, while maximum payouts are capped at £8.