Almost 40% of online bettors expand into casino games and scratchcards

Almost four in ten people who open an online betting account to wager on horse racing or sports then take part in other gambling products, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found in research commissioned by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). The study, based on a representative survey of 1,000 players, publishes figures on account use, session losses and the influence of marketing.

Key findings from the sample

The ESRI interviewed 1,000 players to analyse online and offline gambling activity, account usage, exposure to commercial communications and attempts to cut back on gambling. Key results include:

• 77 per cent of respondents said they had gambled online in the previous year.

• 59 per cent had gambled in person in the same period.

• 44 per cent said they had gambled both online and in person.

• Almost 40 per cent of those who opened an online account for racing or sports betting extended their activity to online casino games, slots and scratchcards.

• 54 per cent of those who opened an online account later opened a second account.

• Around 10 per cent of online players reported having four or more accounts.

Respondents cited favourable odds, simple registration processes and promotional offers as main motivations.

Losses, sessions and marketing

The study detects differences between the online and in-person experience. In the most recent session, 26 per cent of online players said they lost “a lot”, compared with 17 per cent of those who played in person. The ESRI also identified a direct relationship between commercial communications and gambling activity: one in seven respondents said their most recent online gambling session took place immediately after receiving an email, an app notification or seeing a gambling advertisement. Approximately one in five players said they received those notifications daily.

The report also shows that one in five online gambling sessions interrupted another activity, with work and family time among the most affected. A quarter of interviewees said they were trying to reduce their gambling or planned to do so; among those already trying to cut back, one third said they were gambling the same amount or more than a year earlier.

Accounts: opening is easier than closing

Several participants reported that opening an account or depositing funds was easier than closing an account or withdrawing winnings. The research highlights account-specific challenges linked to online accounts: simultaneous use of multiple accounts and account controls that, the report says, require new obligations for licensed operators.

Official reactions

Presenting the report, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform 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.”

“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,” said Pete Lunn, head of the Behavioural Research Unit at the ESRI.

The GRAI, which is rolling out its regulatory and licensing framework in stages, said the results reinforce the need for stronger safeguards in the online sector. Anne Marie Caulfield, Chief Executive of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, said the research confirms the need for new obligations on licensed operators, especially around account opening and closure, the ability to set spending limits and advertising restrictions. The GRAI presented those aims as part of its focus on marketing standards, account controls and voluntary exclusion.

Concrete implications the report highlights

The ESRI puts numbers on behavioural pathways: the transition from betting to casino products, simultaneous use of accounts and the influence of commercial communications in session starts. The GRAI plans to assess market practices and the effectiveness of rules in light of these data, with particular attention to account opening and closure requirements and to the possibility of imposing spending limits and advertising restrictions on licensed operators.

The ESRI report is published as the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland advances its regulatory implementation timetable and may serve as the basis for obligations that will be imposed on operators in Ireland. For follow-up and sector reactions, see our related coverage in the news section and B2B analysis of account controls in b2b.