GRAI Reveals Online Gambling Behaviours in Ireland

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to carry out a study to better understand gambling behaviour in the country. Since it began work in March 2025, the authority has been informing its work with comprehensive research of this kind. According to the study, which involved 1,000 adult gamblers, 54% of online players have opened a second account.

The research puts the share of people who played online gambling at least once in the past 12 months at 77%. The share who played in person is 59%. 44% of participants use both channels. Nearly 4 in every 10 people who opened an account for sports betting also try other products such as iGaming, slots and scratch cards. About 10% of those with more than one account have four or more.

The impact of marketing is also striking. Only one in seven people say their most recent online session started right after an email, app notification or gambling advert. Gambling leads one in five online players to have sessions that take up family and work time. For in-person players, the rate is one in seven.

Losses are more common than wins. 57% of online players and 50% of in-person players said they ended their last session with less money than they started with. 25% of participants said they plan to reduce their gambling or are working towards it. A third of these said they spent the same as or more than the previous year. ESRI reported that participants often said opening accounts and depositing money is easier than closing an account and withdrawing winnings.

GRAI CEO Anne Marie Caulfield said the authority's role is to monitor developments in gambling practices. Caulfield said the research was commissioned to understand how people play in their everyday lives, increasingly in online settings.