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Ireland should introduce restrictions to reduce underage exposure to gambling, according to an Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) report that found strong links between childhood experiences of gambling and problem gambling in adulthood.

Introducing strict age verification for online gambling platforms, a watershed ban on TV advertising and restricting sponsorship of events or clubs where children are involved have all been suggested by the ESRI in its latest published on June 7.

The “Childhood Gambling Experiences and Adult Problem Gambling” study looked into whether adults who were more exposed to gambling as children were more likely to be problem gamblers. 

An online survey of 1,663 adults in Ireland measured participants’ problem gambling scores and asked them if they had gambled before the age of 18, how much their parents gambled while they were growing up and what was their parents’ general attitude towards gambling.

Around 64 percent of adults report having gambled before turning 18, with 33 percent of them playing slot machines, 31 percent playing scratchcards, 27 percent horse or dog betting, 23 percent betting among friends, and 20 percent playing lotteries or bingo, according to the survey. 

“Those who gambled before the age of 18 are almost twice as likely to have problem gambling, as are those who had a parent who gambled with high intensity during the person’s childhood. Those whose parents had a more positive attitude towards gambling are also at an increased risk of having problem gambling,” the ESRI said.

It concluded: “The influence of parents on problem gambling risk appears to be weakening in younger age cohorts. This suggests that a focus on regulations that reduce the extra-familial exposure of children to gambling, such as regulation on accessibility and marketing, may be taking on greater importance.”

However, the ESRI acknowledges that restrictive regulation “may reduce the profitability of a sector that generates considerable revenue and employment”, making it “important that regulation is grounded in evidence from high-quality research on the impact of exposing children to gambling”.

As a next step, the ESRI said it will evaluate the effectiveness of recent measures taken in the UK and Italy to protect children.

The latest report is part of the ESRI’s research on gambling funded by the Department of Justice and the Implementation Team supporting the establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI).

A previous review by the ESRI published in January 2023, which based its conclusions on the longitudinal Growing Up in Ireland study, suggested that legislation could be introduced to restrict gambling advertising in sports as an effective method of protecting some of those who are especially vulnerable to gambling harm.

In June 2023, the ESRI undertook a review of research on a number of policy questions, such as addressing problem gambling.

Comparing problem gambling evidence around the globe and in Ireland, the ESRI noted that previous estimates of 12,000 adult problem gamblers (0.3 percent of the population) and 35,000 more (0.9 percent of the population) classified as “at risk” are likely underestimated due to the survey design and response biases, according to the research.

Findings published by the ESRI in October 2023 revealed that 130,000 adults in Ireland are estimated to be problem gamblers, ten times the previous measure from 2019.

Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Bill reached Report Stage in the Dáil on April 24, 2024, with amendments taken and the bill passed to the Dáil Éireann on May 1, 2024. On May 14, the bill completed Seanad Éireann's second stage. 

It is already possible to register interest in an Irish gambling licence with the GRAI, which will roll out a licence application process once it has been established. 

Work is ongoing to gauge the size of the Irish market.

“This information will be used to assist with determining the scale of the day-to-day operations of the GRAI. To assist in our preparations and in ensuring a scalable, efficient and effective roll-out we are requesting all people/business to register their interest for a License in the Irish market,” the GRAI said in its notice.