Troubling findings in Irish teenage gambling patterns

Shirley Pulis Xerxen September 11, 2023

The Children and Gambling Report, published on the September 7 is a study conducted by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) in collaboration with the Department of Justice and the Health Research Board (HRB). It is based on data from the National Drug and Alcohol Survey 2019-20 and aims to provide an overview of the prevalence and patterns of teenage gambling among 16-year-olds in Ireland. The report also explores the risk factors and harms associated with gambling, as well as the policy and regulatory implications for the gambling industry.

Report is “deeply troubling”

James Browne, the Minister of state at the Department of Justice, which is responsible for the introduction of the Gambling Regulation Bill in Ireland. He supported the publication of the Children and Gambling Report and described the teenage gambling results as “deeply troubling”. He also pointed to the Gambling Regulation Bill 2022, which is currently under review, as crucial in protecting children and young people from potentially harmful gambling.

Renewed calls for gambling ads ban

Following the publication of the report, the Minister has hinted at the need for a controversial gambling advertising ban that would allow ads to appear only between 9:00pm and 05:30pm.

Key findings

Some of the key findings are:

Some of the key findings are:
More than one-in-five 16-year-olds have gambled for money in the last 12 months.
Boys make up the overwhelming majority (80%) of 16-year-olds that meet the criteria for problem gambling.
Problem gambling is particularly associated with betting on sports and betting online.
Nearly 30% of 16-year-old boys gambled within the previous year, compared to only 8% of girls.

Recommendations

The report makes several recommendations to address the issue of gambling among 16-year-olds in Ireland. Some of them include:

Raising the minimum age for gambling from 16 to 18 years and enforcing it effectively.
Restricting the advertising and marketing of gambling products especially those targeting young people and sports fans.
Providing education and awareness programmes on the risks and harms of gambling for young people, parents and teachers.
Establishing a Gambling Regulatory Authority to oversee the licensing and regulation of the gambling industry and to protect consumers and vulnerable groups.
Developing a national strategy on gambling that includes prevention, treatment and research components.

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