Nearly 40% of online bettors move into other gambling products
New ESRI research offers detailed insight into how Irish consumers use online gambling accounts and interact with different gambling channels.
Key takeaways
- Nearly four in 10 people who open an online betting account later move into other gambling products, including online casino games, slots and scratch cards.
- More than half of online account holders, 54 per cent, opened a second gambling account, while around 10 per cent held four or more accounts.
- Online gambling was more prevalent than in-person gambling, with 77 per cent of respondents gambling online during the previous year.
- Twenty-six per cent of online gamblers reported losing “a lot” in their most recent session, compared with 17 per cent of in-person gamblers.
- One in seven respondents said their most recent online gambling session followed exposure to an email, app notification or gambling advertisement.
Nearly four in 10 people who open an online account to bet on horse racing or sport later participate in other forms of gambling, according to new research from the Economic and Social Research Institute commissioned by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland. Based on a survey of 1,000 gamblers, the study examined online and in-person gambling activity, account usage, marketing exposure and efforts to reduce gambling. The findings have been released as the GRAI continues to introduce its regulatory and licensing framework.
Ireland.- Nearly four in 10 people who open an online account to bet on horse racing or sport later move into other forms of gambling, including online casino games, slots and scratch cards. That’s according to new research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), commissioned by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI).
The study was released as the GRAI continues the phased introduction of its licensing and regulatory responsibilities and offers one of the most comprehensive examinations so far of gambling behaviour among consumers in Ireland. Researchers surveyed a representative sample of 1,000 gamblers, examining both online and in-person betting activity, their most recent gambling sessions, exposure to operator marketing and efforts to reduce gambling.
The findings revealed notable differences between online and in-person gambling experiences. More than three-quarters of respondents, 77 per cent, had gambled online during the previous year, while 59 per cent had gambled in person. Some 44 per cent had engaged in both online and in-person gambling.
The research found that many people who initially opened online accounts for betting on horse racing, sport or lotteries subsequently broadened their gambling activity to include online casino games, slots and scratch cards. More than half of gamblers who had opened an online account, 54 per cent, later opened a second account. Respondents cited favourable odds, straightforward registration processes and promotional offers among the main motivations. Around 10 per cent of online gamblers reported holding four or more accounts.
Online gambling sessions were also more likely to be associated with substantial losses. In their most recent session, 26 per cent of online gamblers said they had lost “a lot”, compared with 17 per cent of those gambling in person.
Marketing and promotional communications appeared to influence gambling activity. One in seven respondents said their most recent online gambling session took place directly after receiving an email, app notification or seeing a gambling advertisement. Approximately one in five gamblers reported receiving such notifications every day.
The study also highlighted the impact of gambling on daily life. One in five online gambling sessions interrupted another activity, with work and family time among the activities most frequently affected. A quarter of respondents said they were either trying to reduce their gambling or intended to do so. Among those already attempting to cut back, one in three said they were gambling the same amount or more than they had a year earlier.
Many participants also reported that opening an online account or depositing money was easier than closing an account or withdrawing winnings.
Launching the report, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan said: “I am very pleased to launch this latest report in the ESRI’s research series examining the gambling landscape in Ireland.
“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.”
Pete Lunn, head of the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit, said: “Many consumers gamble for entertainment without experiencing harm, but our previous research for the GRAI found that 1 in 30 adults in Ireland now experience problem gambling, with many more at risk of harm. 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.”
GRAI chief executive Anne Marie Caulfield said the findings reinforced the case for stronger safeguards in the online gambling sector.
“One of the GRAI’s statutory functions is to monitor and review national and international developments in gambling practices to identify issues of concern which may give rise to an increase in harmful gambling.
“In order for us to identify practices of concern and to assess the effectiveness of regulations, we need to understand the real-life experiences of consumers when they gamble in their everyday lives, and increasingly in online environments. It is within this context that the GRAI commissioned the ESRI to undertake to capture a real world understanding of gambling behaviour.
“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. The research highlights specific challenges associated with online accounts. More than half of online account holders are gambling using multiple accounts, often simultaneously across different platforms. 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.”
FAQs
What did the ESRI study find about online betting account holders?
The study found that nearly four in 10 people who opened an online account for betting on horse racing or sport later used other gambling products, including online casino games, slots and scratch cards.
How common is online gambling in Ireland according to the research?
Seventy-seven per cent of survey respondents said they had gambled online during the previous year, while 59 per cent had gambled in person and 44 per cent had done both.
How many online gamblers hold multiple accounts?
More than half of online account holders, 54 per cent, had opened a second gambling account. Around 10 per cent of online gamblers reported holding four or more accounts.
How often did marketing influence gambling activity?
One in seven respondents said their most recent online gambling session occurred directly after receiving an email, app notification or seeing a gambling advertisement. About one in five reported receiving such notifications daily.
