Prof Brendan Kelly: Ireland’s attitude to a ‘flutter on the horses’ is wrecking lives
Ireland's permissive gambling culture fuels addiction, highlighting need for stronger regulation and industry responsibility.Summary
An investigation led by Investigate Europe and The Irish Times revealed that Irish authorities granted gambling licences to six companies at the core of a global online black‑market betting network. The human toll includes addiction, depression, despair, and transgenerational harm, with one in 30 Irish adults affected by gambling disorder. Online gambling’s intensity and lack of guardrails exacerbate risks, and neuroscience shows gambling activates the same brain reward systems as alcohol and drugs, leading the WHO to reclassify gambling disorder as an addiction. Personal accounts describe compulsive play, VIP inducements, and the relentless lure of the possibility of winning. The piece argues that gambling harm is a neurobiological disorder, not a moral failing, and calls for robust regulation, industry accountability, integrated mental‑health and addiction services, and honest public health messaging.
(Source：The Irish Times)