Ireland Runs Pioneering Problem Gambling Support Service for Women

Problem gambling has become a burning issue in Ireland. According to the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) 2023 report, the country is home to 130,000 adults (1 in 30) who meet the standard criteria for ”problem gambling”. 

Even more, Ireland has an additional 279,000 adults who engage in harmful gambling. Of the people dealing with gambling problems, 45.5% are represented by women. 

The latter are faced with the stigma around gambling addiction, which prevents them from discussing their problems and actively seeking professional help, leading to a disproportionately low number of female gamblers pursuing help. 

As a response, the Extern Problem Gambling Network, which is the country’s free counseling and helpline service aimed at people dealing with gambling problems or addictions and their family members with a declared goal “to make responsible gambling a reality in Ireland”, has launched a new service to help combat this stigma. 

EmpowerHer Recovery Network offers a confidential, free, pioneering service to speak without “fear or judgement” about the problems that led women to seek help.

Breaking Down Barriers 

The project’s lead, Claire Donegan, explained a large number of women never openly admit to having a problem of fear of being perceived negatively. 

According to additional data from ESRI, the number of Irish women affected by harmful gambling has gone up ten times in 2023 from 2019’s Health Research Board study, reaching 2.9% of the country’s population. 

“My hope is that by providing this free, safe space, we can help to break down barriers and provide women with the motivation they need to take that first step towards recovery.”, Donegan said. 

Looking to convince more female problem gamblers to embrace treatment and join support networks, the Extern Problem Gambling network has worked on offering a vast array of services to fight problem gambling aimed at women. 

Among them, we can mention individual peer coaching sessions, network group meetings, confidential spaces where women can openly discuss their experiences, and a complete recovery toolkit. 

The network has also released a brand new season of podcast stories that have women “whose lives have been affected by problem gambling” at the center. 

The podcast series is expected to help women gamblers fight off the sense of isolation that usually takes them over. 

The New Service, “Badly Needed in Ireland“

As explained by counselor Barry Grant, the new service “is badly needed in Ireland” not only as a means of reducing the stigma around women dealing with harm from their gambling experiences but also as a powerful encouragement for “help-seeking”.

The latter, added Grant, “has always been at disproportionately low rates” when it comes to women.

At the moment, only 10% of the individuals who choose to initiate their recovery journey are represented by women on the island of Ireland. 

As further explained by ESRI researchers, the country “may be underestimating the true prevalence, [which has] serious implications for understanding the role that gambling plays in Irish life.”

Minister of State Justice James Browne has been striving to create new, but much-anticipated laws that would regulate the gambling industry prior to the upcoming general election.