For a majority of those who gamble, it won\u2019t lead to major problems such as addiction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But for a sizeable portion of people who do gamble, it can and will.<\/p>\n
When it comes to those who work in supporting problem gamblers, seeing statistics like this \u201cspiking\u201d is a stark reminder of what so many people in Ireland are facing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Barry Grant, an addiction counsellor and project manager at Extern Problem Gambling, said that even during bad economic times in Ireland, gambling is seen as something that is \u201crecession proof\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot that we have [a recession] now, but most people will say there are very serious cost-of-living issues<\/a> people are facing right now with housing, the price of butter, and everything in between,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis 20% rise [in gambling spend] is a substantial one coming from a very high base.<\/p>\n “Some of it will be recreational, but also people are experiencing a lot of harm.\u00a0<\/p>\n “In a cost-of-living crisis-type situation, some people would turn to gambling as a means to make ends meet.<\/p>\n \u201cIf their food shop increases by 50%, they might see it as a way to split the difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n “There are also 300,000 in arrears on their electricity bills. That would concern me.\u201d<\/p>\n Data from the Economic and Social Research Institute, commissioned by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland<\/a>, has suggested 130,000 people in Ireland are problem gamblers.<\/p>\n Hundreds of thousands more experience \u201cnegative behaviours\u201d associated with their gambling.<\/p>\n For those affected by a gambling addiction, it\u2019s estimated that at least six more people are indirectly affected by it \u2014 be they family or friends \u2014 putting people in debt, and sometimes losing the trust of loved ones.<\/p>\n The regulator\u2019s work has been multifaceted since it began, but not all of the sections of the legislation tackling problem gambling, including advertising curbs, have been enacted as of yet.<\/p>\n It plans to begin its licensing regime this year, where betting companies offering products to customers here must be licensed. If licensees break the regulator\u2019s rules, enforcement can follow.<\/p>\n In the meantime, however, gambling spending continues at pace and is on the rise, according to the Central Bank figures.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re heading into 2026, and gambling is still seen as a deficit of will and a moral failing,\u201d said Colin O\u2019Gara, a consultant psychiatrist and head of addiction services at St John of God Hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to move the dial in terms of our understanding of gambling disorder as a biological driven brain disease,” he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n It\u2019s a major public health issue, and it sits alongside other addictions.\n <\/p>\n Mr O\u2019Gara said that the regulator is doing good work, but it must contend with the \u201cbehemoth task\u201d it faces.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cThis is such a wide-spanning area. And the proliferation of gambling has had a two-decade head start.\u201d<\/p>\n The proliferation he\u2019s referring to is the explosion in online gambling. But even then, the landscape has changed drastically.<\/p>\n Mr Grant said that the age profile of those coming forward for help with problem gambling had been people in their 30s, but this is starting to skew significantly towards a younger demographic.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re seeing 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds presenting, there\u2019s been a rapid onset of problems in a short space of time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a relatively new thing, we\u2019re seeing a cryptocurrency being used on a lot of gambling sites.<\/p>\n \u201cNot the household name [gambling sites], but some more fringe ones are accepting stakes in crypto.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Consultant](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/4916519_12_articleinline_NO_20FEE_20SJOG_20RESEARCH_2001.jpg\" "\\"Consultant")
Consultant psychiatrist Colin O\u2019Gara is the head of addiction services at St John of God Hospital. Picture: Marc O’Sullivan<\/p>\n