Ireland: campaign calls for all-island safer gambling initiative

A charity is campaigning for The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to work together on gambling harm.

Ireland.- A campaign is pushing for joint work on gambling harm in the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. Both countries are in the process of updating their gambling regulations.

Pete and Sadie Keogh from Fermanagh, whose son died due to gambling-related suicide, are pushing for a new education programme in the two countries. They saw the launch of a pilot project with Gambling with Lives in Northern Ireland in 2021. Now Fine Gael senator Emer Currie has invited the Keoghs and Gambling with Lives to the Oireachtas to meet TDs and senators to discuss the issue.

Currie said the goal was “to secure a place for a gambling awareness campaign in secondary schools, similar to their successful pilot in Northern Ireland.” She said there were discussions underway with the youth organisation Foróige.

“Having worked closely with Foróige here in places like Tyrrelstown and Blanchardstown in Dublin, I know first-hand the work they do. I think they are a perfect fit for Gambling with Lives to engage young people on the impact of problem gambling,” she said.

She added: “I don’t think there’s a family in Ireland that doesn’t know the impact a gambling addiction can have and for some, like the Keoghs, it’s been their worst nightmare.”

The campaign comes as new research warns that Ireland’s new gambling regulator should prioritise measures on problem gambling. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has concluded that problem gambling in Ireland “could be larger than initial estimates”.

It conducted a study with the aim of providing evidence-based research to inform debate and decision-making on the launch of Ireland’s new regulator, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.

See also: Irish Department of Justice supports Gambling Regulation Bill