GRAI urges parents to identify early signs of underage gambling in latest campaign

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has initiated a national campaign aimed at helping parents and guardians recognise and respond to underage gambling.

Announced on Monday , the campaign combined newly developed online guidance, created in partnership with the Health Service Executive (HSE) Addiction Services, with a multimedia public-awareness drive.

The messaging will be disseminated through video-on-demand services, radio, digital audio networks and social media platforms.

The GRAI stated the campaign materials are designed to equip families with the knowledge needed to identify early warning signs of gambling. It should provide advice for initiating open conversations with children about gambling risks, and direct parents towards available support resources if intervention is necessary.

Research underpinning the initiative

The campaign followed research commissioned by the GRAI from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), which revealed that children who gamble are twice as likely to develop gambling-related problems in adulthood.

The research found that 64% of adults in the survey reported gambling before they turned 18. Betting as a minor saw an 83%-87% increase in the likelihood of developing a gambling problem in later life.

It also found that those individuals who had a parent who gambled were 80% more likely to have problem with gambling themselves. This was reflected in a similar analysis run by the Gambling Commission that revealed that nearly one in eleven adults in the UK experienced harm as a result of someone else’s gambling during 2024.

The ESRI study highlighted the fact that young people have developing brains yet underdeveloped impulse-control systems, which leave them vulnerable to the factors that heighten gambling’s appeal.

Anne Marie Caulfield, CEO of the GRAI, emphasised the importance of early parental involvement. “Children and young people are among the most at-risk members of Irish society when it comes to gambling exposure and harm,” she said. “With online gambling available at any time of the day, it is easy for the warning signs to be hidden.”

Practical guidance

The guidance offered by the GRAI stressed the importance of early and age-appropriate conversations about gambling with children. It also drew attention to often overlooked gambling avenues such as loot boxes and other randomised reward mechanisms embedded within popular video games.

Parents have been encouraged to monitor changes in behaviour such as mood swings and increased secrecy regarding money.

In legislation

This campaign forms part of a broader push to enhance protections for minors under the 2024 Gambling Regulation Act . The legislation, pending full enactment, imposes some of the strictest penalties in the European Union for permitting underage gambling activities. The GRAI was established last year to help usher in the bill.

It granted regulators expanded enforcement powers. It also placed substantial responsibilities on the gambling industry regarding age verification, advertising restrictions and product design in order to protect children from undue exposure.

Ireland is not the first market to turn its attention to underage gambling. In March of this year, Norway launched a four-year action plan to fight the problem .

Key prevention measures in the Nordic programme focused on school and club outreach for youngsters and digital campaigns and guidance for adults. Tools and training for parents, educators, coaches, healthcare professionals, probation and prison staff, employers and bank employees would be distributed. This would help identify early warning signs of gambling harms.

The GRAI has directed parents and guardians to the HSE Addiction Services for further assistance. It is anticipated that consumer protection and treatment providers will experience increased demand should greater awareness of gambling harms lead to more referrals.

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