Fears rise over ‘on-demand’ gambling

MANAGER of Limerick’s Saoirse Addiction Treatment Center (SATC), Alan Galvin, has warned that Ireland has become a society where instant gratification is everywhere, creating a place where addiction thrives.

“The evolution of gaming and even the evolution of things like Netflix and Amazon Prime, it’s all on demand, it’s all there.” Galvin made the comments about a new HSE-approved pilot program for the treatment of gambling addicts that he is running in Limerick.

The free service is based on Old Clare Street in Limerick and is based on cognitive behavioral therapy. The gaming and betting pilot is currently offered to people aged 14 and over and is limited to Limerick.

Mr Galvin explained: “We do an initial stroke screening assessment and clients who are accepted into the program are offered a structured intervention based on CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy.”
He said they have customers who are now abstaining from betting. “They have stopped and are building their lives in recovery now.”

Mr Galvin believes there is a behavioral link between gambling and gambling. Despite this, he emphasized that the organization is not anti-gaming and stressed the importance of moderation.
“The whole point of the game is about risk, taking the risk and getting the reward or the perceived reward. The game certainly encourages that kind of thinking and behavior, and then a lot of the games have credits.” He added that parents are funding their children’s games, without being fully aware of the nature of the activity in which they might be participating.

When someone gambles excessively, it can affect their sleep, school or work, relationships, and family dynamics. Galvin said gamblers may experience feelings of guilt, shame or frustration, and their addiction can also have impacts on physical and mental health.

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The center’s counselor works with the young person around play and identifying behaviours, while the project worker works with parents to set healthy boundaries and be aware of their child’s screen time.

The typical age of clients seeking help for a gambling addiction is between 15 and 16 years old. “His parents have come in because they felt it had gotten to the point where, if you will, it had become a contentious issue at home, and they were looking for advice and guidance on how to work with the child as a whole. essence of the game.” Mr Galvin said parents have concerns about their child and often say they seem withdrawn or may not engage socially.

The Association uses logs to track how long the customer plays. Mr. Galvin said that an hour can turn into ten hours pretty quickly. Since most clients with gaming addiction are under the age of 18, their parents are very involved in the treatment process. “The things that parents do sometimes unwittingly, you know, buying the credit for the games, there’s nothing wrong with that, but again, it’s about everything in moderation.”

Galvin cited how parents can complete a Revolut transfer because their child wants credit, but they don’t know what the credit is being used for. He added that there is an adjustment period for clients and their families as awareness increases around their screen time and the impact on behaviour, for example. They usually don’t realize that as a family they spend 10-15 hours or more a week on the phone or in the media.

Regarding the nature of gambling today, Mr Galvin believes that access to betting portals, emails and free bets are used to attract players. “There’s a kind of insidious nature to it. It’s all on demand and it travels with you.

He said feedback on the program has been excellent so far. Galvin expects an evaluation to be done after the pilot. “We hope that, as a result of the assessment, if warranted, it will continue.”