A new study has found Ireland has a worse problem with gambling, with ten times more people affected than previously thought.
A new study by the ESRI has found problem gamblers are spending more than €1,000 a month on their addiction, accounting for 28% of their overall spending.
The review records 3.3% of the adult population in Ireland, or 130,000 people, are problem gamblers - a figure ten times higher than previous estimates.
Today we publish 'Measures of problem gambling, gambling behaviours and perceptions of gambling in Ireland'.
Our best estimate is that 1 in 30 adults in Ireland suffer from problem gambling – ten times higher than a previous measure from 2019.https://t.co/6RjSBFjChl pic.twitter.com/BTaPEZtKB3— ESRI Dublin (@ESRIDublin) October 5, 2023
The research also found that an additional 7.1%, or 279,000 people, show "moderate evidence" of problem gambling and a further 590,000 people report at least some problematic experiences or behaviours in relation to gambling.
The study called, "Measures of problem gambling, gambling behaviours and perceptions of gambling in Ireland", was commissioned to support the establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.
The survey has been welcomed by the Minister of State with responsibility for Law Reform, James Browne who says the study "underscores the necessity to recognise and meaningfully confront problem gambling and the harm it causes."
