Problem gambling back in the news in Ireland

Prevalent in Irish Casino news circles again is the subject of gambling addiction. Different terms are used  in an attempt to differentiate between those who have a problem and those who don’t and the term “pathological” gambling was coined by the World Health Organization back in 1992 and was defined as “ persistently repeated gambling which continues and often increases, despite adverse social consequences such as impoverishment, impaired family relationships and disruption of social life”. This is obviously a pretty severe condition and fortunately even in Ireland where we like to gamble it is estimated that less than 1% of gamblers fall into the category. (more…)

Your doctor is unlikely to diagnose problem gambling

The chances of your Doctor recognising or even asking about chronic gambling problems is pretty remote according to the Royal College of General Practitioners which means that symptoms such as depression while possibly being linked to debt problems are not being linked to the cause. The vice chair of the college, Dr Clare Gerada, thinks more could be done and is being backed by the gambling charity GamCare who think that less than one percent of problem gamblers are getting help. A case in point is that of Mr Ian Semmell who says he thought of gambling as a way of making money but realised that compulsive gambling is a way of creating debt and losing houses, jobs etc. (more…)

Problem Gambling on the increase in Ireland

Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is seeing a rise in people seeking help for a gambling addiction as the recession bites harder. A spokesperson for GA said that there are several meetings everyday in Dublin alone and whereas last year there would be just a handful of people turning up, there could be anything up to 30 today.  The issue does not appear to be that gambling has increased but rather that folk can no longer afford it. (more…)

Irish online casinos and the new gambling legislation

In this month’s Irish casino news we thought it would be a good idea to look at the latest proposals for regulating all forms of gambling in Ireland, including online casinos and online sports betting. Details of the proposed bill have now been published by the Ministry for Justice under the title of the Gambling Control Bill, which will replace existing legislation, in particular the Betting Act 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956. We understand the purpose of the legislation is primarily to respond to the influence of modern technology on the gambling scene in the form of online casinos and the huge range of casino games which are now readily available online, but there will also be restrictions on the number of casinos licensed to operate in the country and the number of tables each casino is allowed to have. We understand that no more than 40 casinos will be allowed and each will have a maximum of 15 tables. The new Bill will apparently also require all online casino operators and online gambling sites to be licensed irrespective of where they are based, a proposal designed to ensure that such internet sites are not linked to criminal organisations. There will also be clauses designed to protect vulnerable young people, including restrictions on certain types of casino games considered potentially harmful. Also included in this Bill will be a relaxation of the rules relating to bingo clubs, which may prove to be a welcome move for this gambling sector in particular. (more…)