Harmful gambling can have crippling financial and social effects on the gambler, their friends and family. In the first national study of the social impact of harmful gambling in Ireland, researchers examined how it affected recovering gamblers, their families and friends. They also heard stories from counsellors and those who provide services to help gamblers. Talking to people from all walks of life, from different age groups and different economic backgrounds, they found that a common theme was the devastating social effects gambling had on people’s lives.
In particular, they learned that gamblers were often exposed to gambling at an early age, for example by collecting betting proceeds for a family member, or watching adults place bets. This then led them to participate in gambling before the legal age of 18.
Gamblers reported gambling in secret, isolating themselves from family and friends to feed their addiction. As relationships deteriorated, the gambler’s behaviour would only be discovered when they were no longer able to maintain a double life, such as failing to intercept unpaid bills that had been part of trying to maintain a facade of normality. The availability of technologies, such as smartphones, means that it’s possible to conceal a secret gambling habit for years, before financial and emotional crises reach breaking point.
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For young people, such technology exacerbates the potential harm of gambling. The participants in the studies frequently spoke of their concern for young people and their risk of addiction due to the availability of gambling apps and websites easily accessible from their smartphones.
Gambling as a public health issue
The social harms that stem from addictive gambling are not only for the gambler. For example, the wives of gamblers in this study reported how they could sense there was a problem, but believed they were struggling with marital issues, rather than the fallout from gambling addiction.
Parents and children of gamblers reported that they could no longer trust the gambler, that they could no longer leave money unattended, and that the gambler had become someone they did not recognise or understand.
Listen to what gamblers say they need
The participants interviewed said there is a need for open discussion about gambling and the risk it can pose to individuals and their families. Gambling addiction carries with it significant social stigma, shame and isolation – talking openly about its effects can change how we approach this issue.
Interviewees suggested a variety of measures the Irish government could take, including regulations that would protect the most vulnerable to gambling addiction, and particularly in regulating how technology now enables secretive gambling. They also identified the need for support that would help prevent and address the harmful effects of gambling addiction.
While there are addiction treatment centres around Ireland which include services to address harmful gambling, there is little help for those affected by a partner’s or family member’s gambling.
Crystal Fulton receives funding from the Department of Justice & Equality and from the Irish Research Council, with support from the Department of Social Protection.
