Problem gambling changes casino activities from a form of entertainment to a series of real-life burdens. Our iGaming experts completed a market-wide analysis regarding safe and responsible gambling.

These are their findings and concrete recommendations for online gamblers in Ireland!

• All You Need to Know About Problem Gambling in Ireland
• Steps and Tips to Stay in Control
• Helpful Tools & Organizations for Irish Players
• Why Gambling Awareness is Important
• References

All You Need to Know About Problem Gambling in Ireland

Our responsible gaming experts have looked into the issue of problem gambling. We present their findings to help you maintain a solid grip on your gambling and stay in control.

Problem Gambling defined

1. It is the act of gambling to the degree that disrupts or damages one’s family and personal or recreational pursuits.
2. A problem gambler is someone whose participation in wagering brings negative consequences and a possible loss of control.

They differ from moderate-risk or low-risk players by the degree of compulsion involved.

Surveys identified that between 0.5% to 3% of gamblers worldwide are experiencing problem gambling.

The private clinics and non-profit organizations that supervise problem gambling in Ireland are striving to keep track of the growing number of Irish problem gamblers. The collected data is supposed to help them develop new approaches to better understanding and combating the issue.

There is one more key aspect that must be considered, however: how gambling can affect the brain of engaged individuals?

The Psychologists’ Outlook

According to authorities in the field of psychology, gambling is an addictive activity by design. To understand this better, our experts explain how gambling affects your brain.

Gambling behaves like a narcotic

Recent discoveries made by addiction specialists show that the gambler brain sees casino games as an escape from reality.

This discovery directly correlates with dopamine release, the reward chemical triggered by other recreational activities like drinking alcohol, using drugs, or smoking cigarettes.

Cambridge research backs this claim

Dr Clark, a researcher from Cambridge, used Functional Magnetic Resonance Imagining (fMRI) technology to measure the activities within the reward circuit as gamblers experience near-misses in a roulette game.

The research showed that gambling takes effect in the striatum. This brain region is considered the centre of the reward circuit.

His findings are crucial in combatting addiction

It appears that the gamblers have distorted perceptions when they near-miss a bet, which causes them to play for longer and improve their chances. The experiment showed that those experiencing near-misses were more likely to chase their losses, which translates into cravings and withdrawal symptoms when further gambling is denied.

A natural brain reaction

Nearly 70 years after B.F. Skinner wrote his hypothesis that variable rewards create more addictive products, fMRI technology has proved that this is precisely how the brain reacts to gambling stimuli. However, preventive steps like how to stop gambling addiction in Ireland are available for players seeking help.

The near misses combined with the possibility to make your own choices promote an illusion of control, which can trick our minds into thinking that we can influence the fixed outcome of casino games.

Things are not all that dark!

Although the reinforcement of compulsive behaviours is embedded into gambling as such, there are approaches to the activity that can alleviate and even nullify harmful aspects.

Steps and Tips to Stay in Control

Our experts have used their betting experience and expertise with the Irish gambling industry to provide a list of the most effective tips and approaches for responsible gambling.

There are three sides to the issue:

1. What do you do as a preparation?
2. How can you effectively deal with your gambling activity?
3. What you will do outside casino premises, be they physical or virtual?

Before Gambling

These steps are prerequisites for gambling in the safest manner.

• Distinguish between Gambling as Entertainment and as Source of Income

While professional Irish gamblers make a living from the casino, it does not necessarily mean that the average Irish player should continuously pursue this career.

Key observation

In 2020, 7% of participants identified gambling as a method of earning their day-to-day funds.

For the majority, gambling will and should remain a form of entertainment

Players should strive to carefully discern their motivations for betting on casino games. If someone practices gambling to escape debt, obtain quick profit, or as a daily occupation, they should rethink participation altogether.

• Keep Track of the Time and Money you Spend

Keeping a gambling diary or using a spending tracker can help you manage your time and funds spent gambling better.

How to do that?

If your service does not provide histories for gambling activities and transactions, you should keep tabs on yourself.

This is as simple as writing a diary.

It is better that you only use one service, as multiple accounts will hinder your efforts of keeping track of your activities.

• Set a Money Limit Before You Start Gambling

If you are planning to start gambling, you need to set a limit in advance. This small trick will help you manage your risks better and not overspend if luck is not on your side.

How can you better act?

You should establish a clear threshold for how much money you wish to sink into gambling.

You must consider all these funds as expendable.

While Gambling

We will provide some concrete tips for the best gambling etiquette.

• Never Bet More than you Can Afford!

You should only wager a set amount of cash that you can afford to lose. Gambling with money dedicated to paying for basic needs (rent, food, bills) is a red flag.

Concerning Statistics

Around 3.1% of active Irish gamblers attest to having spent more than they could afford to lose.

How do you approach the issue?

Establish clear loss limits and stick by them. These should be monthly, weekly, or even daily. Once you have reached these amounts, take a break.

• Ideally, you want to Bet at Most 1% of your Total Bankroll at Once

So, you have set a proper bankroll for gambling.

Example

Let us say that you have set aside a €500 casino budget. In that case, your bets should not exceed €5. The case where you have accrued additional funds should not be seen as an exception.

In general, do not modify your betting limits on the go or during gambling.

• Avoid Chasing your Losses!

Chasing losses will trigger irrational behaviour, resulting in even more losses. As we have previously highlighted, this is the essence of forming a compulsion loop.

How should you act instead?

We stress that you should respect your spending and loss limits without exception.

When you are on a losing streak, interrupt your gambling.

You could develop a cohesive betting strategy for certain games that will reduce hasty decisions.

Know myths from facts!

More than its psychological implications, expecting to win after a series of losses is typical of the gambler’s fallacy. As most casino games have completely randomised rounds, no number of losses will raise your chances of an eventual win.

• Always Bet from a Position of Knowledge

Before you start wagering, make sure you have a deep understanding of how the game works. This rule applies primarily to skill games, such as Poker, Blackjack, and sports betting, but the idea is simple.

You will be less likely to waste your money when you bet wisely.

As for how you may act in this case will depend on the partially skill-based game you choose.

Listen to the CasinoAlpaha advice and study both the game in general and your modus operandi in particular.

• Do not Gamble when Feeling Down

If you feel depressed or angry, avoid gambling with no exception. Negative feelings can impact your ability to make efficient decisions.

Being impulsive may, in turn, become compulsive

As the general rule for all gambling advice goes, take all decisions while being clearheaded.

• Never Wager while Under the Influence of Substances

Drinking impairs your decision-making abilities, so you should never gamble while under the influence.

Most psychoactive substances will either impair your assessment abilities or even distort your perception altogether.

More pressingly, such repeated decisions may enforce a link between gambling and the effect of certain substances.

Gambling issues are often linked to drinking problems

One survey showed that at least one in six Irish problem gamblers also sought help for alcohol problems. And this is not just a coincidence, as drinking has been tied to detrimental gambling dynamics.

Beyond Gambling

Although not so apparently tied to gambling, the following series of advice will inform our Irish readers regarding daily decisions in a gambler’s life that will make a difference.

• Do not let Gambling Interfere with your Responsibilities

Skipping work to gamble is dangerous behaviour.

Although it may seem unlikely, around 15% of Irish gamblers have been gambling online in their workplace only last year.

What to do instead?

1. Avoid letting your gambling activities interfere with your family life or career.
2. Administer your gambling time such that you have the time to maintain healthy relationships.

Most often, a gambler’s social circle will be a strong facilitator for surpassing addictive behaviours.

• Diversify your Hobbies and Interests beyond Gambling

If your only source of satisfaction is playing at a casino, you should balance this out by pursuing other hobbies unrelated to gambling.

Think of other activities you enjoy or even explore some new pastimes.

You do not necessarily have to replace gambling altogether but rather not have it as your sole relaxation mode.

• Take Regular Breaks from the Casino

Whenever you lose, quit the casino, and spend some time analysing what happened and returning only when your mind state is clear.

An occasional break is more than beneficial

Playing at the casino continuously could result in a loss of perspective!

Previous advice regarding loss, spending and time limits will help you realise when it is best to take a breather and reassess your gambling.

• Use all available Tools for Prevention, and Seek Help if Needed

You do not need to bear the brunt of responsible gambling on your own. Most online betting gambling businesses will provide tools for combating addictive behaviours.

Don’t wait too long to get specialized help

Numerous organisations have been specially set up to help Irish gamblers with compulsive issues.

Our next section is dedicated to selecting the most effective responsible gambling features and organisations the Irish player can access.

• Bonus Tip: Pick Legitimate and High-Quality Casinos

Finding a safe and sound casino may take a while, but it is worthwhile.

And you do not have to scour by yourself, as our best casinos sites will provide legal and respectable services and all the data regarding the platform at large and their responsible gambling measures.

Helpful Tools & Organizations for Irish Players

Regulatory bodies impose a series of standards regarding responsible gambling features a casino should have.

We will show you what our gambling experts consider to be the best tools for maintaining each facet of responsible gambling:

*Table caption: The check and not marks indicate whether the tool is suited for a specific responsible gambling concern. However, blank space means that the feature may also provide some aid in an area, with some specifications.

Key Aspects about Responsible Gambling Tools:

• The Game Time Reminder will only inform you of elapsed time within one game.
• Cooling-Off implies a shorter period than Self-Exclusion and is also less drastic.
• Closing an account will exclude you from one platform.
• Self-Exclusion may affect your activity on other sites.
• Problem gamblers may cancel withdrawals to continue their wagering.
• Minor preventive tools are part of the wider casino KYC procedure.
• The best gambling sites will have expert-trained customer service agents.

One extra but nonetheless necessary element every casino must feature is a series of links to responsible gambling agencies.

These are either national or international bodies aiding Irish gamblers with harmful gambling behaviours.

Responsible Gambling Organisations in Ireland

These are the leading accredited organisations that will help Irish gamblers when in need. For Irish gamblers who need additional support, we offer a detailed self-exclusion guide to help them restrict access to gambling sites.

These organisations specialise in one field when helping Irish gamblers stay in control

This does not mean that Irish registrants should resort to only one of these services. The efforts of these organisations are complementary.

1. Irish gamblers should use all means provided to stay in control of their activities!
2. Gam-Anon is mainly aimed at relatives, partners, or close friends affected by another person’s gambling. The service provides additional social support unencountered in other cases.

Why Gambling Awareness is Important

Only 0.5% to 3% of gamblers worldwide face addiction. However, the Revenue Commissioners that issue Irish Betting Licenses admit that current risk measurements may underestimate the scale of this problem.

The problem with dry statistics

1. These numbers do not consider the effects problem gambling has on an individual’s friends and relatives.
2. They dismiss the impact the activity might have on low or moderate-risk gamblers.

Measures are being taken

The past year saw the yearly estimated expenditure on gambling addiction in Ireland rise to between €260 million and €1.2 billion.

Data regarding the issue’s evolution in time

We observe that the general trend indicates the amelioration of gambling-related issues with the advent of comprehensive and cohesive responsibility measures.

With self-exclusion, for instance, in the past, applicants cited difficulties in registration and a lack of a market-wide opt-out agency.

Why is this important?

In order to assess the relevancy of emerging tools and organisations, we do deep research, thus helping Irish gamblers stay in control.

Solutions reduce the number of low-risk and medium-risk players

Gendered social differences also play a part in gamblers’ efforts to stay in control. Males still represent the majority of problem players.

Studies found that impulsive coping, social anxiety, and risk-taking were significant partial mediators for these divides. All these issues are key parts many outreach organisations wish to tackle via their services.

Risk gambling occurrences greatly vary across age groups

Irish readers should observe that the highest rates of addiction are met in generally younger populations, with the three oldest groups laying at the bottom of the chart constantly across time.

This should dispel the myth that gambling issues manifest in the case of the aged populace.

A great concern in regards to minor gambling

Online self-excluders are generally ten years younger than land-based ones. Given the growth of online casino sites, the rate of young problem players may increase. This highlights the need for proper measures to prevent and stop gambling addiction in children.

The previous year’s data

In March 2017, the 16-to-24-year age group was the one most affected by gambling addiction. Subsequent bettering of KYC procedures, gaming tools, and disseminating information thus produced the possibility of underage and young gamblers staying in control.

Gambling addiction was more complex than most expected

Following thorough statistical analyses, leading regulatory bodies, such as the UKGC and MGA implemented a series of responsibility-related measures.

They effectively addressed psychological, gendered, and age-related considerations.

There’s hope for the future

With the falling numbers of unaddressed problem gamblers and soaring numbers among players willing to take steps to stay in control, we can already see results.

References

• Examining Gender Differences for Gambling Engagement and Gambling Problems Among Emerging Adults
• Extern Problem Gambling Organization
• Problem gambling in Ireland has risen during Covid as the industry remains unregulated
• HRB published first report on 2022 Irish gambling trends