Ireland’s gamblers struggle to reduce spending

Gamblers in the Republic of Ireland who want to reduce their betting can struggle to do so, the Economic and Social Research Institute has found.

The study, ‘Patterns of online and in-person gambling in Ireland’, analysed an online survey of 1,000 adults who had gambled at least once in the past year which was not solely through physical lottery tickets or scratchcards.

One in four respondents intended to reduce their betting, and of those currently trying to do so, one in three were gambling the same amount or even more than they had the previous year. The most common methods to tackle the habit were willpower, followed by tracking account history.

‘Conflict’

The study noted that “in addition to those with problem gambling, there is a substantive minority of gamblers who experience conflict between their short-term behaviour and long-term goals; they express a desire to gamble less, but continue to bet as before.

“This and other evidence contained in this study, including the holding of multiple accounts, expansion into different gambling activities after opening an online account, the prompting of gambling sessions by adverts and communications, and asymmetries in ease of withdrawal/deposits and account opening/closing, may warrant regulatory attention.”

The authors found that almost four in ten of those who opened online gambling accounts for sport or horse racing proceeded to be involved in “more immediate forms of gambling” such as casino and slot machine games.

“The implication is that online access tempts customers to try other forms of gambling that they might otherwise be unlikely to have engaged with.”

Rehab

Last month, the Health Service Executive revealed that the number of problem gamblers seeking treatment has more than doubled since 2021.

Providing data in response to a parliamentary question from TD Ken O’Flynn about treatment figures between 2021 and 2025, the HSE reported that 352 people accessed public services because of problem gambling last year, compared to just 159 in 2021.

Consultant psychiatrist and addiction specialist Professor Colin O’Gara highlighted that the treatment numbers, which already indicate a “significant problem”, fail to represent the actual number of people struggling with gambling.

“Typically, only one in 10 people who are affected by severe gambling disorder will end up in treatment.”