More than 130,000 Irish people suffer from problem gambling or are at risk of it, according to a study that highlights the large and underestimated societal harm involved.
Unregulated social casino games – online games without real money – are associated with problem gambling and may act as a gateway to real gambling and problem gambling, the review by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) warns.
“The international evidence on problem gambling points to the need for greater action to address gambling-related harms,” it concludes.
Based on survey data, 0.3 per cent of the population (about 12,000 people) are estimated to suffer from problem gambling, it says. A further 0.9 per cent (35,000 people) are at moderate risk, and 2.3 per cent (90,000) are at low risk.
