A recent survey conducted with 1,000 Irish adults who gambled in the past year has highlighted the impact of operator messages and events on gambling decisions. The survey results, released by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on Wednesday, emerge as Ireland works on its regulatory framework under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.
The findings reveal that 80% of respondents had an online gambling account, with more than half (53%) maintaining multiple accounts. Additionally, 44% of the participants reported engaging in both online and in-person gambling.
The survey, which weighted responses based on age, gender, region, and social grade, sourced its participants from an existing online panel rather than a traditional probability sample.
Focusing on gambling behavior, participants indicated that horses, sports, and lotteries were the primary attractions when opening their first online accounts. Notably, 38% of those who started with horse racing or sports later expanded their gambling activities to include online casino games, slots, bingo, or scratchcards.
Operator communications played a significant role in influencing gambling habits. Nearly two-thirds of account holders reported receiving emails from gambling operators, with 52% getting app notifications and 16% receiving text messages. A quarter of those with app alerts mentioned receiving them daily or more frequently. The survey found that about one in seven respondents engaged in their last online gambling session after receiving an advertisement or notification. Other factors influencing gambling included reminders of upcoming events, viewing sports, and feelings of boredom or stress. Boredom or stress was cited for 16.4% of recent online gambling sessions, while 5.6% were due to efforts to recover previous losses.
The research also unearthed the impact of gambling on daily life. Of those who made deposits online in the past year, 70% found the process very easy, while 57% described withdrawals in the same manner. However, nearly 20% of participants who had closed accounts reported finding the process challenging. Two-thirds of online gamblers placed at least one bet a week compared to just under half (48%) of in-person gamblers. One in five respondents acknowledged that their latest gambling session interrupted another activity, with work being the primary activity displaced by online gambling, and family time being the most commonly interrupted by in-person gambling.
Interestingly, fewer respondents reported that their gambling was influenced by the actions of others.
As for those looking to reduce their gambling, one in four participants indicated they were trying to cut back or planned to do so, although one-third of these individuals admitted to gambling as much, or even more, than the previous year. The most prevalent method for reducing gambling was attributed to willpower, as stated by 48% of those trying to limit online betting and 63% of those attempting to reduce in-person gambling. Notably, less than 10% reported using self-exclusion tools to manage their behavior.
Additional research referenced by the ESRI estimated that one in 30 adults in Ireland face problem gambling, with another one in five showing signs of gambling-related difficulties.
The report emphasizes the need for careful examination of how customers consent to notifications and manage their subscriptions as well as ensuring the easy withdrawal of funds and account closure compared to deposits. Furthermore, it calls for evaluating the correlation between the shift to additional gambling products and potential harm.
The ESRI findings present significant insights for the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) as it moves forward with the implementation of the 2024 Act. This legislation outlines measures that include enhanced marketing regulations, operator communications, account limits, consumer protections, and a centralized self-exclusion system. Set to enact some of the strictest penalties in the EU against underage gambling activities, the GRAI was formed last year to advance this legislative effort.
Earlier this year, the GRAI launched a national campaign aimed at educating parents and guardians about recognizing and addressing underage gambling. This initiative followed research by the GRAI, which indicated that minors who gamble are twice as likely to develop gambling-related problems in adulthood. It further revealed that 64% of adults surveyed had gambled before the age of 18, with gambling as a minor correlating to an 83%-87% increase in the likelihood of future gambling problems. Additionally, individuals with parents who gamble are 80% more likely to face gambling issues themselves.
