Treating Gambling Addiction
A gambling addiction, also called compulsive gambling, is the uncontrollable urge to keep gambling despite the toll it takes on your life. A gambling addiction has the potential to ruin more than one life if left untreated. Here you can learn about gambling addiction symptoms, treatment and some facts around the problem in Ireland.
- IRELAND HAS THE third highest per capita rate of gambling losses in the world. That's according to research which shows that as a nation we lose about €470 per adult on different forms of gambling.
- 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 Addiction Symptoms
Diagnosing a gambling addiction can be harder within certain countries compared to others due to varying accepted levels of social behaviour. This is particularly true for a country such as Ireland, as activities related to some behavioural addictions are embedded in Irish society and everyday activities. For example, gambling is strongly associated with sports in general, including GAA. Routinely buying a Lotto ticket is also considered a common national pastime (Fulton, 2015)
The Gambling Clinic is a trading arm of the Extern Problem Gambling Project (formerly Problem Gambling Ireland). We provide specialist CBT treatment for gambling addiction/problem gambling, in Ireland. Currently, due to Covid restrictions, all counselling sessions are delivered by video call.
Some of the most telling and obvious symptoms of a gambling addiction problem are the urge to continually ‘chase' gambling losses with more gambling and resulting financial debt due to this behaviour. However, a gambling addiction is one of the most difficult to detect due to its often secretive nature; particularly these days due to the growing popularity of online and mobile gambling.
Still, there are some symptoms of gambling addiction to look out for:
- Mood swings. Those closest to diagnosed problem gamblers have said that mood swings were a significant sign of a problem, including highs and lows, irritability and short-tempered responses (Fulton, 2015).
- Unhappiness or depression. According to research by Professor David Forrest of Liverpool University, problem gamblers can often be 'as miserable as cancer patients', as such, being a problem gambler also tripled the likelihood of extreme unhappiness (Forrest, 2012).
- Dishonest behaviour. Those addicted to gambling often act dishonestly. A prime example is dishonestly taking money from loved ones, friends or employers. Other examples may also include starting arguments purely as an excuse to gamble (Fulton, 2015).
- Secretive or evasive. In order to hide their gambling problem from others, those addicted to gambling can be secretive and evasive about financial matters or their whereabouts. Those closest to a problem gambler have said that the lying and secrecy were two of the most difficult behaviours to understand (Fulton, 2015).
- Preoccupation with gambling. Meaning an excessive preoccupation with gambling and self-isolation from others in order to spend more time gambling. This type of behaviour can also lead to unreliability. For example, being unable to pay bills despite being paid a wage.
- Physical signs. While a gambling addiction is one of the hardest to recognise on the outside, there are some physical signs related to the problem. For example, they may appear exhausted due to their excessive preoccupation with gambling, possibly resulting in insomnia, as well as possibly leading to issues around hygiene and grooming (Fulton, 2015).
Gambling Addiction Treatment at the Rutland Centre
Gambling addictions in Ireland have largely gone unnoticed by the general populous until, perhaps, the last few years where there has been a surge in popularity of online gambling - which has led to a far younger age profile of those with gambling problems. However, here at the Rutland Centre, we have been supporting people through gambling rehabilitation for decades.
We have various treatments available for gambling related addictions, ranging from gambling counseling sessions to full residential care. With 40 years of experience in addiction and high abstinence rates, we're confident we can help those that need it most. For more information, please see our treatment services page.
Gambling Addiction in Ireland - The Facts
While research within Ireland has been limited, there are some startling statistics related to the gambling addiction in Ireland:
- Roughly 7% of gamblers are at risk of developing a gambling problem (Freyne, 2015).
- Roughly less than 1% of gamblers have a gambling addiction - however, approximately 30-35% of the gambling industry's revenues comes from those who have gambling issues (Freyne, 2015)
- Gambling is moving online, making it harder to track the behavioural activity of a loved one. In 2008, there were 1,365 betting shops in Ireland, which reduced to 948 in 2015. Paddy Power says that 77% of its profits comes from the online side of the industry.
- 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.
Contact Information
We at the Rutland Centre have dealt with gambling addictions for decades - we can help. If you have any concerns about your own gambling habits or those of a loved one, please pick up the phone to contact us. We are firmly of the opinion that, in Ireland in particular, people wait far too long to make the call to seek addiction treatment. Gambling rehabilitation and change are much more attainable if treatment is sought at an early stage.
Allow us to help you today - call (01) 494 6358. You may also want to visit our treatment services page for a list of the various treatments we have available.
References
Freyne, Patrick. 'Gambling 24/7: The Addiction Ireland Doesn't Know Enough About'. The Irish Times. N.p., 2015.
Fulton, C. (2015). Playing Social Roulette: The Impact of Gambling on Individuals and Society in Ireland. University College Dublin.
Mayo Clinic. (2016) 'Compulsive Gambling - Mayo Clinic'. Mayoclinic.org. N.p., 2016. Web.
THERE HAVE BEEN at least around 800 cases in Ireland where people sought help with gambling addiction since 2015, but these official HSE figures have been labelled 'the tip of the iceberg'.
The figures were released to Sinn Féin's Louise O'Reilly, who asked Minister for Health Simon Harris how many people had been treated for gambling addiction since 2015.
Harris sent O'Reilly's request to the HSE but the body subsequently admitted its own figures don't paint an accurate picture of the scale of gambling addiction in Ireland.
The Dublin Fingal TD told TheJournal.ie that the government has refused to engage on methods to try to understand problem gambling in this country, and that we are already in the midst of a crisis that is going largely unnoticed by the government.
In its reply to O'Reilly, the HSE said that its addiction services have been 'traditionally funded to treat problematic drug and alcohol use, some cases of problematic gambling have been provided with treatment'.
‘Optional' reporting
In supplying the figures, the HSE said that the numbers available related to the number of cases reported to the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS).
'Reporting of gambling to the NDTRS is optional,' it said. 'Therefore, these figures cannot be considered complete or representative of the treatment for gambling in a national context.'
Nevertheless its figures show that there were 208 cases in 2015, 195 in 2016 and 219 in 2017. These were cases where gambling was designated the 'main problem' in those presenting for treatment.
Gambling Problem Ireland Vs
In all, that's 622 cases in that three-year period.
The figures aren't yet finalised for 2018 but, with 60% of all relevant data available, there were 174 cases where patients were treated for a gambling addiction.
So, since 2015, there has been just under 800 cases – at the very least – where people presented with gambling addiction to a service under the auspices of the HSE.
It is more than likely that these figures vastly underestimate the true volume of problem gambling in Ireland, as the HSE noted in its response.
The issue with the NDTRS is that a form must be completed by each person presenting for treatment related to their drug, alcohol or in this case gambling use.
People also often turn to private providers and charities who offer addiction supports outside the remit of the HSE.
There is scant data available on the prevalence of problem gambling in Ireland, but research has been done in the UK to try to get a picture of how pervasive the issue is.
In England in 2016, it was estimated that there were around 300,000 problem gamblers, which is under 0.5% of the population.
The picture is far bleaker in Northern Ireland, which estimates that 2.3% of the population is classified as a problem gambler, or around 43,000 people.
‘Dedicated study'
We don't know what this figure is in Ireland because the dedicated studies on it simply have not been done.
There is some data available on how much Irish punters have lost on gambling, with a study by The Economist in 2017 saying Ireland's gambling losses totalled €2.1 billion a year, or €470 per adult.
O'Reilly said it was important that this problem was no longer ignored.
She said: 'We are not drifting towards a gambling crisis, we are in the middle of one and the government are afraid to look under the bonnet to see how big that crisis is.
With the Gambling Control Bill 2013 put forward by the government in the doldrums for quite some time, and a revised bill put forward by Fianna Fáil a year ago this month making slow progress in the Dáil, inaction is continuing from the government in legislating the gambling industry and the issues facing problem gamblers.
The Department of Health does have data on gambling use in Ireland on the way, but that will be based on data from 2014/15.
The Gambling Clinic is a trading arm of the Extern Problem Gambling Project (formerly Problem Gambling Ireland). We provide specialist CBT treatment for gambling addiction/problem gambling, in Ireland. Currently, due to Covid restrictions, all counselling sessions are delivered by video call.
Some of the most telling and obvious symptoms of a gambling addiction problem are the urge to continually ‘chase' gambling losses with more gambling and resulting financial debt due to this behaviour. However, a gambling addiction is one of the most difficult to detect due to its often secretive nature; particularly these days due to the growing popularity of online and mobile gambling.
Still, there are some symptoms of gambling addiction to look out for:
- Mood swings. Those closest to diagnosed problem gamblers have said that mood swings were a significant sign of a problem, including highs and lows, irritability and short-tempered responses (Fulton, 2015).
- Unhappiness or depression. According to research by Professor David Forrest of Liverpool University, problem gamblers can often be 'as miserable as cancer patients', as such, being a problem gambler also tripled the likelihood of extreme unhappiness (Forrest, 2012).
- Dishonest behaviour. Those addicted to gambling often act dishonestly. A prime example is dishonestly taking money from loved ones, friends or employers. Other examples may also include starting arguments purely as an excuse to gamble (Fulton, 2015).
- Secretive or evasive. In order to hide their gambling problem from others, those addicted to gambling can be secretive and evasive about financial matters or their whereabouts. Those closest to a problem gambler have said that the lying and secrecy were two of the most difficult behaviours to understand (Fulton, 2015).
- Preoccupation with gambling. Meaning an excessive preoccupation with gambling and self-isolation from others in order to spend more time gambling. This type of behaviour can also lead to unreliability. For example, being unable to pay bills despite being paid a wage.
- Physical signs. While a gambling addiction is one of the hardest to recognise on the outside, there are some physical signs related to the problem. For example, they may appear exhausted due to their excessive preoccupation with gambling, possibly resulting in insomnia, as well as possibly leading to issues around hygiene and grooming (Fulton, 2015).
Gambling Addiction Treatment at the Rutland Centre
Gambling addictions in Ireland have largely gone unnoticed by the general populous until, perhaps, the last few years where there has been a surge in popularity of online gambling - which has led to a far younger age profile of those with gambling problems. However, here at the Rutland Centre, we have been supporting people through gambling rehabilitation for decades.
We have various treatments available for gambling related addictions, ranging from gambling counseling sessions to full residential care. With 40 years of experience in addiction and high abstinence rates, we're confident we can help those that need it most. For more information, please see our treatment services page.
Gambling Addiction in Ireland - The Facts
While research within Ireland has been limited, there are some startling statistics related to the gambling addiction in Ireland:
- Roughly 7% of gamblers are at risk of developing a gambling problem (Freyne, 2015).
- Roughly less than 1% of gamblers have a gambling addiction - however, approximately 30-35% of the gambling industry's revenues comes from those who have gambling issues (Freyne, 2015)
- Gambling is moving online, making it harder to track the behavioural activity of a loved one. In 2008, there were 1,365 betting shops in Ireland, which reduced to 948 in 2015. Paddy Power says that 77% of its profits comes from the online side of the industry.
- 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.
Contact Information
We at the Rutland Centre have dealt with gambling addictions for decades - we can help. If you have any concerns about your own gambling habits or those of a loved one, please pick up the phone to contact us. We are firmly of the opinion that, in Ireland in particular, people wait far too long to make the call to seek addiction treatment. Gambling rehabilitation and change are much more attainable if treatment is sought at an early stage.
Allow us to help you today - call (01) 494 6358. You may also want to visit our treatment services page for a list of the various treatments we have available.
References
Freyne, Patrick. 'Gambling 24/7: The Addiction Ireland Doesn't Know Enough About'. The Irish Times. N.p., 2015.
Fulton, C. (2015). Playing Social Roulette: The Impact of Gambling on Individuals and Society in Ireland. University College Dublin.
Mayo Clinic. (2016) 'Compulsive Gambling - Mayo Clinic'. Mayoclinic.org. N.p., 2016. Web.
THERE HAVE BEEN at least around 800 cases in Ireland where people sought help with gambling addiction since 2015, but these official HSE figures have been labelled 'the tip of the iceberg'.
The figures were released to Sinn Féin's Louise O'Reilly, who asked Minister for Health Simon Harris how many people had been treated for gambling addiction since 2015.
Harris sent O'Reilly's request to the HSE but the body subsequently admitted its own figures don't paint an accurate picture of the scale of gambling addiction in Ireland.
The Dublin Fingal TD told TheJournal.ie that the government has refused to engage on methods to try to understand problem gambling in this country, and that we are already in the midst of a crisis that is going largely unnoticed by the government.
In its reply to O'Reilly, the HSE said that its addiction services have been 'traditionally funded to treat problematic drug and alcohol use, some cases of problematic gambling have been provided with treatment'.
‘Optional' reporting
In supplying the figures, the HSE said that the numbers available related to the number of cases reported to the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS).
'Reporting of gambling to the NDTRS is optional,' it said. 'Therefore, these figures cannot be considered complete or representative of the treatment for gambling in a national context.'
Nevertheless its figures show that there were 208 cases in 2015, 195 in 2016 and 219 in 2017. These were cases where gambling was designated the 'main problem' in those presenting for treatment.
Gambling Problem Ireland Vs
In all, that's 622 cases in that three-year period.
The figures aren't yet finalised for 2018 but, with 60% of all relevant data available, there were 174 cases where patients were treated for a gambling addiction.
So, since 2015, there has been just under 800 cases – at the very least – where people presented with gambling addiction to a service under the auspices of the HSE.
It is more than likely that these figures vastly underestimate the true volume of problem gambling in Ireland, as the HSE noted in its response.
The issue with the NDTRS is that a form must be completed by each person presenting for treatment related to their drug, alcohol or in this case gambling use.
People also often turn to private providers and charities who offer addiction supports outside the remit of the HSE.
There is scant data available on the prevalence of problem gambling in Ireland, but research has been done in the UK to try to get a picture of how pervasive the issue is.
In England in 2016, it was estimated that there were around 300,000 problem gamblers, which is under 0.5% of the population.
The picture is far bleaker in Northern Ireland, which estimates that 2.3% of the population is classified as a problem gambler, or around 43,000 people.
‘Dedicated study'
We don't know what this figure is in Ireland because the dedicated studies on it simply have not been done.
There is some data available on how much Irish punters have lost on gambling, with a study by The Economist in 2017 saying Ireland's gambling losses totalled €2.1 billion a year, or €470 per adult.
O'Reilly said it was important that this problem was no longer ignored.
She said: 'We are not drifting towards a gambling crisis, we are in the middle of one and the government are afraid to look under the bonnet to see how big that crisis is.
With the Gambling Control Bill 2013 put forward by the government in the doldrums for quite some time, and a revised bill put forward by Fianna Fáil a year ago this month making slow progress in the Dáil, inaction is continuing from the government in legislating the gambling industry and the issues facing problem gamblers.
The Department of Health does have data on gambling use in Ireland on the way, but that will be based on data from 2014/15.
That will form part of the Drugs Prevalence Survey, which published its first tranche of data in 2016. The government has promised that more fuller data on gambling within our culture from that survey will be published soon.
Gambling Problem Ireland Map
Sinn Fein's O'Reilly believes that is not enough and wants the government to be more proactive on the issue.
Problem Gambling Ireland Twitter
'I've been calling for a dedicated gambling prevalence survey so we can understand the scale of the problem in this State, however, to date the government refuse to engage,' she said. 'In fact, they even refuse to run a problem gambling awareness campaign.'
