Concerns have been raised in the Republic of Ireland that gambling harms/risks are much more likely among those exposed to gambling as children.
The warning comes from research conducted by the Behavioural Research Unit of The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) commissioned by Ireland’s Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI).
Research draws links between early exposure to gambling as a factor that significantly increases the risk of problem gambling in adulthood. As such, Irish authorities are warned to tighten youth protections in the ongoing implementation of sweeping legislative reforms of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.
Based on anonymous responses from a nationally representative sample of more than 1,600 adults, ESRI researchers examined how childhood gambling behaviour and experiences can be correlated to adult gambling outcomes.
Research considers factors such as societal attitudes, education, parental controls and household customs in the correlation of how youth experiences correlate to adult outcomes as results point to what the institute describes as a “clear and persistent link between early normalisation of gambling and later harm.”
Individuals who reported gambling before the age of 18 were almost twice as likely to experience problem gambling in later life. Meanwhile, having a parent who gambled increased the risk by around one third, with heavy parental gambling nearly doubling the likelihood of gambling-related harm.
Where both factors were present, the effects were significantly amplified as research identified that “individuals were four times more likely to suffer from problem gambling as adults.”
Youth exposure & damaging consequences
Of utmost concern, underage participation was shown to be widespread across Irish society. Almost two-thirds of respondents said they had engaged in some form of gambling before turning 18.
The products most commonly cited as “unchecked engagement” included slot machines, national lottery products, scratch cards and informal bets amongst friends.
Dr Shane Timmons, Senior Research Officer at the ESRI and lead author of the report, warned that the data demonstrates how “deeply childhood exposure can shape gambling behaviour over a lifetime.”
“These results show that gambling is not a harmless pastime when introduced at a young age. Gambling has measurable and damaging consequences well into adulthood,” Timmons said.
“When gambling becomes normalised in childhood, it alters attitudes to risk, money and reward in ways that significantly increase the chance of later harm.”
He added that the findings must be viewed against the broader scale of the issue in Ireland: “Our best estimate suggests that around one in 30 adults in Ireland now struggles with problem gambling.
“When combined with the strong influence of early exposure identified in this research, it presents a compelling case for robust regulation aimed specifically at protecting young people from gambling environments, marketing and products.”
The study also identified that certain forms of childhood gambling including sports betting, casino-style games and digital loot boxes were linked to higher long-term risk, reflecting the growing role of online platforms and gamified products in shaping youth engagement with gambling. This is a concern shared with other EU authorities.
GRAI moves to new agenda
The publication arrives at a critical moment for Ireland’s gambling sector following the enactment of the Gambling Regulation Act in 2024, which introduced Ireland’s regulatory framework on gambling to overhaul centuries old liabilities.
The adoption and enforcement of the Act is led by the GRAI as a new regulatory agency responsible for gambling licences, market conduct and consumer safeguards.
Establishing its authority in 2025, the GRAI and the Dáil moved to a new agenda on the governance of gambling focused on enhancing consumer protection standards and settling on advertising and sponsorship practices.
The ESRI has urged the GRAI to pursue tougher advertising and marketing controls alongside stricter age-verification requirements across both online and land-based gambling.
However, the research stresses that regulation must go further — adopting a more nuanced approach that removes gambling’s appeal to youth audiences while ensuring parents are equipped with education tools to identify early signs of risk and harm.
Anne Marie Caulfield: GRAI
GRAI CEO, Anne Marie Caulfield, said the ESRI’s findings reinforce the urgency of embedding youth protection at the core of the new regulatory system.
“This research provides clear, evidence-based confirmation of the long-term harms that can arise when children are exposed to gambling,” Caulfield said. “It shows that the impact is not short-lived — it follows individuals into adulthood, affecting financial stability, wellbeing and family life.”
She added that one of the regulator’s central objectives is to prevent gambling from becoming a routine or socially embedded activity for younger generations.
“A well-regulated gambling sector must prioritise safeguarding children and those vulnerable to harm. That means strong age-verification systems, meaningful limits on marketing exposure, and ensuring that gambling products are not designed or promoted in ways that appeal to young people.”
No to Normalisation
To coincide with the research release, the GRAI has published guidance for parents, developed in collaboration with Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) Addiction Services, aimed at helping families discuss gambling risks and recognise early warning signs of harmful behaviour.
However, while Ireland’s regulatory regime has formally relaunched, key policy decisions remain outstanding. The GRAI has yet to publish its full recommendations on gambling advertising restrictions, sponsorship rules and targeted youth protections.
Early indications from ministers in the Dáil suggest Ireland’s regulatory direction will broadly align with aspects of the UK’s post-Gambling Act review, particularly in areas such as advertising oversight, consumer safeguards and harm-prevention tools.
However, Irish MPs have consistently stressed their determination to avoid what they describe as the “normalisation of gambling in society” that has been witnessed in the UK, a theme that sits at the heart of the ESRI’s findings on childhood exposure.
With licensing processes now underway and secondary regulations in development, the ESRI report is expected to feed directly into forthcoming consultations on advertising codes, youth protections and enforcement priorities.