80% of Irish gamblers have one or more accounts - survey

Updated / Wednesday, 4 Nov 2026 12:30

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Eighty per cent of gamblers in Ireland have at least one online account with most people having more than one, according to new research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) commissioned by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI).

The results have been published following an online survey of 1,000 people who gambled at least once over the past year. Previous research by the ESRI estimated that around one in 30 adults in Ireland experience problems gambling.

Some 44% of gamblers reported that they placed bets both online and in person. The most common motivations for opening an online account are to bet on horses or sports matches or to play lotteries.

''More than half of online account holders are gambling using multiple accounts, often simultaneously across different platforms," said Anne Marie Caulfield, CEO of the GRAI.

"Our focus will be on practical and proportionate protections, including marketing standards, effective account controls and self-exclusion arrangements, while ensuring that regulation responds appropriately to developments in the ways in which people gamble."

The research also found that almost four in 10 people who open an online account to bet on horses or sport go on to other forms of gambling, such as online casino games, slots and scratch cards.

One in four gamblers are either trying to cut down how much they gamble or plan to do so.

''This new study sheds light on the pathways that people take that may ultimately lead them to harm. It raises issues of what online consumers are signing up for and whether they know and understand that,'' said Pete Lunn, head of the ESRI's Behavioural Research Unit.

More than three quarters of respondents (77%) had gambled online during the previous year, while 59% had gambled in person. 44% had gambled both online and in person.

''Research of this nature plays a vital role in informing both the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) and my Department, enabling us to continue to develop an evidence-based regulatory framework that is responsive to the public health and social needs of our communities while ensuring that gambling is regulated in a fair, effective, and transparent manner." said Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 introduced a new regulatory framework for gambling in Ireland. Under the legislation, the GRAI was established to oversee the sector, with responsibility for licensing all gambling operators and enforcing statutory restrictions on their activities.

''This research confirms the need for new obligations which will be placed on licensed operators, particularly around account opening and closing requirements, and the ability to set spending limits and advertising restrictions.'' added Ms Caulfield.

According to the research, in their most recent session, 26% of online gamblers said they lost "a lot" compared with 17% of in-person gamblers.