Survey examines online gambling habits in Ireland
A survey commissioned by GRAI, Ireland's gambling regulator, reports that online gamblers often use multiple accounts and that opening accounts is easier than closing them. The research may inform safeguards under the country's new regulatory framework.
A study commissioned by GRAI, Ireland's gambling regulator, examined account use, marketing and attempts to cut back on gambling. The research was carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). The survey was completed by 1,000 people who had gambled last year. 77% of respondents said they gambled online last year, and 59% said they gambled face to face. 44% said they used both channels.
Almost one in four participants who opened an online account for horse racing or sports betting later moved on to forms of gambling with faster results, such as online casino games, slots, bingo or scratch cards. Most online gamblers have at least one account. More than half of account holders use more than one account. About one in ten online gamblers has four or more accounts. Participants cited better odds, easy registration and promotional offers as reasons for opening a second account. Some said that opening an account or depositing money was easier than closing an account or withdrawing winnings.
26% of online gamblers said they lost a lot of money in their last session, compared with 17% of face-to-face gamblers. This assessment reflects participants' own views and is not based on a fixed financial measure. The research also does not prove that opening accounts leads to gambling losses.
About one in seven participants said their last online session started directly after an email, app notification or gambling advert. This result reflects what participants reported, not a test that measured the effect of marketing experimentally. About one in five online sessions interrupted another activity, such as work or family time. A quarter of participants said they were trying, or planned to try, to cut back on gambling. A third of this group reported gambling the same amount or more than a year earlier.
ESRI said more research is needed to determine whether spreading into other forms of gambling is linked to harm. GRAI said the findings will shape its approach to account controls, marketing standards and self-exclusion arrangements.
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