Teenage boys as young as 16 are struggling to control their gambling habits.
A report by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) found more than a quarter of boys that age say they've placed a bet, and nearly 18% of 16-year-old girls polled said they had gambled in the past.
The research from the Institute of Public Health has highlighted the effect the gambling industry is having on young people.
Researchers spoke to 2,000 secondary school students in Ireland aged 16, with 23% admitting to gambling.
IHP's Director of Policy, Dr Helen McAvoy, says online gambling has affected habits.
"We were particularly concerned by the higher risk among boys, but also by just how many of the teenagers who gambled were getting into difficulty.
"This included things like feeling the need to lie about their gambling spend or feeling the need to bet more and more".
