Four people a day reached out to a problem gambling support group in Ireland in the first six months of this year, with 40% of problem gamblers in the 25-44 age bracket.
GamblingCare, which is funded by donations from the gambling industry, signposts people towards dedicated support services across the country, including residential programmes and in-person counselling.
From January to June, it said that 717 problem gamblers were supported through its network. Of these 12% were female.
Furthermore, one-quarter of problem gamblers received treatment in residential centres.
In total, 835 people called their helpline, while 1,171 people indirectly affected by a person’s gambling were also supported.
Previously, research from the ESRI has suggested that one in 10 adults are now either problem gamblers or report gambling has caused multiple problems in their lives. The ESRI said that it could be the case that problem gambling levels will rise in the coming years unless “something substantive changes”.
Former Armagh GAA star Oisin McConville, who himself has spoken about his own problem gambling experiences, said that figures like this from one group show the sheer scale of the problem.
“For people with gambling, there’s a point of no return,” he said. “With drink or drugs, there can be warning signs and an opportunity for intervention. But in gambling, those warning signs aren’t always there. The more figures we see on it that highlight the problem the better.”
Mr McConville, who recently became a brand ambassador for the group, said the figures of people going in for residential treatment are “stark”.
“People aren’t putting their hands up before crisis point,” he said. “It could be jobs gone, family gone, kids gone. The big thing is getting more education. The more awareness of it, the more people can realise they’re not on their own.”
Advocates in this sector have long called for new legislation in this area in Ireland, having been left without regulation for so long.
The Government has indicated that the long-awaited new laws that would establish Ireland’s first gambling regulator will be enacted by the autumn, with powers of enforcement and a social fund to support those affected by problem gambling.
It has already appointed a ceo-designate of the Gambling Regulatory Authority, with work ongoing in the background to ensure it can begin its work as soon as the legislation passes through the Oireachtas.
“This is key,” Mr McConville said. “I think hopefully by October we should have news on that. We’re lucky enough to have had a couple of meetings with [the regulator]. They’re making the right noises on what they’re going to do. The intentions here are good.
“The can cannot be kicked down the road any longer.”