Concerns as Gambling Addiction Rates Climb in Ireland
Ireland’s addiction treatment facility, the Rutland Centre, has revealed that nearly one in five patients admitted in 2023 sought help for gambling addiction.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:According to the center’s latest annual report, 1,042 of the total 5,213 individuals admitted last year struggled with gambling addiction.
The report also highlights a significant increase in individuals with multiple addictions, with 62% of all patients battling at least two addictions.
We answer almost 16,000 calls a year, and at this point in 2024, I think we are on track to surpass the 2023 levels. Addiction is very prevalent; it’s across all communities all over the country.
ESRI Gambling Addiction Reports
The latest figures from the Rutland Centre mirror the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) findings in 2023. The ESRI reported that about 130,000 or 1 in 30 adults in Ireland suffered from the adverse effects of gambling addiction. The study also revealed that nearly 280,000 displayed early signs of the problem.
A follow-up report released by ESRI in June 2024, which looked into the impact of childhood gambling experiences on adult gambling behavior, reported that 64% of adults in Ireland had gambled before reaching the legal age of 18.
The report also revealed that individuals who gambled during their childhood or have a parent who gambled are nearly twice as likely to develop gambling disorders in adulthood.
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Recently, Ireland’s Gambling Regulatory Authority GRA announced plans to create a National Exclusion Register that will allow vulnerable players to self-exclude from gambling in the jurisdiction.
This proposal is part of the Gambling Act in Ireland, which was first introduced in 2022 and is progressing through the Oireachtas, the Irish parliament.
Other measures in the act included a ban on advertising that may be viewed by minors, a ban on credit cards for gambling and a ban on TV or radio gambling ads between 5:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
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