One in Seven Irish Online Gambling Sessions Followed Ads or Operator Messages

Around one in seven respondents to an Irish gambling survey said their most recent online session directly followed an operator email, app notification or gambling advertisement.

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) conducted the study for the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). It surveyed 1,000 adults who had gambled during the previous year, excluding people whose only activity was buying lottery tickets or scratchcards in person. 

The finding concerns respondents’ recollection of their latest online session. It does not measure the proportion of all gambling sessions caused by advertising.

Sport, Boredom and Stress Among Session Prompts

Other reported prompts included reminders of upcoming events and watching sport. Boredom or stress accounted for 16.4% of the most recent online sessions, while 5.6% were attributed to attempts to recover earlier losses.

Operator communications were widespread. Nearly two-thirds of account holders reported receiving emails, 52% received app notifications and 16% received text messages. Around a quarter of those receiving app alerts said they arrived daily or more often. 

Betting Accounts Lead to Other Products

Among respondents who initially opened an account for sports or horse-race betting, 38% subsequently used other products, including online casino games, slots, bingo or scratchcards.

The research also found that online account ownership often extended across multiple businesses. Around one in ten online gamblers had four or more accounts.

In their latest session, 26% of online gamblers said they lost “a lot,” compared with 17% of people gambling in person. These are respondents’ descriptions of their losses, rather than a standard monetary threshold. 

Few Use Self-Exclusion When Cutting Back

Approximately one-quarter of respondents were trying to reduce their gambling or planned to do so.

Among those trying to cut back, commonly reported strategies included willpower and checking account histories. Fewer than one in ten used self-exclusion, while only a minority set limits, closed accounts or deleted apps.

ESRI said the findings point to tensions between some gamblers’ immediate behaviour and longer-term intentions, alongside differences in how easily customers can open and close accounts or deposit and withdraw money.