The Extern Problem Gambling Project, formerly Problem Gambling Ireland, has seen a 55pc increase in new visitors to its website year-on-year in 2020, with a marked rise in people contacting the. There are no gambling addiction-specific services offered by the health service in Northern Ireland. The consultation on gambling regulation in Northern Ireland closes on Friday 21 February. Gambling Awareness Trust is an Independent charity setup in 2019 to fund research, education and treatment services to help minimise gambling related harm in Ireland.

• Problem Gambling In Northern Ireland
• Gambling Problem Ireland Statistics
• Gambling Problem Ireland Coronavirus

The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland has called for an urgent ban on gambling advertising in sports next year and said tackling gambling addiction through laws and education was needed 'now more than ever'.

Launching its Gambling Disorder Position Paper, the professional body for psychiatrists said the Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions had fed what was already a 'hidden epidemic' around the country, adding it was now a 'public health crisis'.

It said coronavirus-related restrictions fuelled the problem through increased isolation, more opportunity to gamble while working from home and higher levels of targeted online advertising.

The position paper, developed by the Faculty of Addictions Psychiatry of the College, says gambling disorder is a behavioural addiction that shares certain features with substance addiction.

It outlines five key planks to target the problem: public education, new legislation, advertising controls, treatment services and research into problem gambling.

According to the paper, there are no national data reflecting the prevalence of gambling disorder in Ireland and no dedicated referral pathways for the treatment of gambling disorder within the Irish mental health or addiction services.

The college said gambling advertisements on television and radio should not be permitted to air before the watershed and that gambling advertising within sports in Ireland should not be permitted.

'All gambling advertising-related activity should be closely monitored by an independent regulator,' it said. 'The independent regulator should be aware of the influence social media advertising can have on children and adolescents' and 'the independent regulator should also be aware of the use of micro-transactions and loot boxes in online gaming, described as 'virtual games of chance'.'

We're extremely pleased to announce our partnership with the Extern Problem Gambling Project (formerly Problem Gambling Ireland). Working together, we aim to help bring awareness and support for those struggling with gambling addiction across Ireland.https://t.co/sS0VZ3wEXRpic.twitter.com/g3A5Vfnidr

— Gamban (@gambanapp) November 18, 2020

It also calls for more robust age verification processes to hinder children accessing gambling websites and enhanced legislation, as well as public education about gambling disorder and greater treatment options.

Professor Colin O’Gara, a consultant addictions psychiatrist specialising in the area of gambling addiction and lead author of the paper, said: 'We cannot continue to ignore the links between problem gambling and the current high volume of betting ads – be that in traditional TV ads or on team jerseys and side-line banners.

Betting has become strongly linked with the enjoyment of sports. We are normalising gambling as a behaviour.

'Much like tobacco, in 10 years I think we will look back on the proliferation of gambling advertising in sport and entertainment and ask ourselves how we let it get so out of control. Currently, gambling advertising in Ireland is much too common and, critically, occurs before the adult television watershed.'

President of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland Dr William Flannery, said: 'Even in the absence of live sports, people are finding it difficult to avoid triggers, with increased visibility of online gambling ads and the rollout of new betting platforms. We need to support people with tighter controls and responsible gambling measures inbuilt in the industry.'

Problem Gambling In Northern Ireland

Dedicated to Preventing & Minimising Gambling Harm

In the modern age, Ireland has become a popular tourist destination with its green countryside, ancient castles, and rich culture. What many people do not know, is that Ireland is suffering from a gambling problem.

• Ireland has the third-highest gambling losses per adult, in the world.
• According to the Department of Health, Ireland has in the region of 30,000 people with gambling problems (aged 15 and over).
• Fewer than 1% of people who would benefit from problem gambling treatment receive it.
• According to the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, gambling addiction affects young people at 2-3 times the rate of adults.
• Over €5bn each year is gambled in Ireland - that's €10,000 every minute.
• 12% of Irish Adults bet with a bookmaker on a weekly basis and 2% bet regularly online.

'The absence of gambling regulation in Ireland negatively impacts on roughly 300,000 people, in the form of direct and indirect gambling-related harm. As there is no Regulator, we cannot have a multi-operator self-exclusion scheme - either for land-based or online gambling. This greatly increases the risk of relapse in Ireland, compared to countries where regulation exists. There is also no legal requirement for affordability checks or source of wealth checks - which exist in other jurisdictions. This greatly increases the risk of people gambling beyond their means or with stolen funds. Credit card gambling, which has been banned in the UK, is still legal in Ireland - meaning that most of the people we work with, will end up with substantial credit card debt, as part of their gambling-related debts. We urgently need to see a gambling Regulator in this country in order to minimise the harm and potential harms associated with problem gambling.' - Barry Grant, Extern Problem Gambling Project

Gambling Problem Ireland Statistics

Online Gambling sites in Ireland

Online casino gambling was legalized in Ireland in the last decade, along with online sportsbooks. Since Irish law allows both local and offshore casinos to operate within Ireland, there are plenty of legal and black market sites offering casino games in Ireland.

There are between 30,000 and 40,000 people with gambling problems in Ireland. It is estimated that, for every person with a gambling problem, an additional 8-10 people are adversely affected. The HSE stated that they only worked with 230 people with gambling problems in 2019. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

“As Ireland is about to emerge as a regulated online gambling market it is fair to say that the current treatment infrastructure isn’t anywhere near as mature or evolving as the treatment apparatus to that of the UK. With this in mind, we have a lot of individuals based in rural and isolated areas without access to treatment easily. We believe that without access to treatment centres that Gamban can provide aid against gambling-related harm and act as an enabler helping people to take back control of their lives.” - Stephen Aupy, VP Strategic Partnerships

Irish Gambling Regulations and Law

Ireland's multi-billion-euro betting, gaming, and gambling industries are regulated by outdated legislation, primarily the 1956 Gaming and Lotteries Act and the 1931 Betting Act, both of which the Government has admitted are outdated.

David Stanton, The Minister of State with responsibility for the gambling industry, has admitted he is 'frustrated' at the lengthy delay in publishing the legislation, which is now running nearly five years behind schedule.

Gambling Problem Ireland Coronavirus

Mr. Stanton said that he plans to amend the 1956 Act to include the emerging technology of online gaming. Mr Stanton has also spoken on how his concerns for children being potentially 'groomed' by online games, acting as a precursor to gambling sites. He said the new laws would prohibit activities that encouraged children into gambling.

Gamban and the Extern Problem Gambling Project

We're working with the Extern Problem Gambling Project (formerly Problem Gambling Ireland) to help reduce gambling harm and increase awareness, not only around problem gambling but the services available for those who are struggling may struggle with it.

Over lockdown (and continuing as of writing this) many Casino and Betting operators were urged by the charity Extern Problem Gambling Project to immediately implement mandatory deposit and spending limits on online gambling platforms for the duration of the Covid-19 lockdown over fears that online gambling could increase in popularity while betting shops are closed.

If you're in Ireland and struggling with a gambling problem, don't hesitate to reach out to the Extern Problem Gambling Project for support and guidance.