One in Ten Irish Gamblers Hold Four or More Betting Accounts
Ireland’s gambling watchdog has sounded the alarm over new data suggesting widespread and risky betting behaviour among players. A forthcoming ESRI report reveals that one in ten gamblers in Ireland actively use four or more betting accounts, with many also receiving daily prompts to continue wagering.
Wagering While Working and the Power of Notifications
Anne Marie Caulfield, chief executive of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), said that around 10% of sports bettors place wagers while at work. The trend highlights how accessible and habitual gambling has become. Even more strikingly, a quarter of registered players receive daily push notifications encouraging them to keep betting.
“That’s something that you will be allowed to opt out of in future under the legislation, where you decide you do not want to receive those notifications,” Caulfield said during the St John of God Research Foundation’s annual conference.
The upcoming legislation is expected to tighten control over marketing practices and player protection, giving consumers more control over the messages they receive.
Problem Gambling May Be Underreported
Although Ireland is in the process of modernizing its gambling laws, experts fear that the country still underestimates the true scale of problem gambling. Some studies suggest the number of problem gamblers could be ten times higher than officially reported. The new ESRI research aims to paint a clearer picture of gambling behaviour and assess whether existing safeguards are adequate.
Caulfield also pointed to aggressive cross-selling tactics, where players registering for sports or horse racing products are offered free spins to explore the same operator’s casino games. Such unsolicited promotions, she warned, can lure users toward higher-risk gambling.
“Also, three in four made a deposit in the past year, and we did find through this study that people found it relatively easy to make a withdrawal, but a little bit more difficult to withdraw than to add to their accounts,” she said.
New Licensing and Self-Exclusion System on the Way
The regulator is now preparing to launch Ireland’s first licensing process for gambling operators, introducing a framework aimed at stronger consumer protection. A key part of this plan is a national self-exclusion register, which will allow players to block access across all licensed operators.
Once the ESRI report is published, it is expected to offer the clearest view yet of how Irish players interact with gambling platforms and what steps are still needed to make the sector safer.
