Irish researchers urge tobacco-style restrictions on gambling

Researchers from four Irish universities have urged policymakers to adopt stricter gambling regulations based on public health measures used for tobacco and alcohol. Their study, published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science, recommends banning low-cost scratchcards and introducing minimum gambling spend requirements. The authors argue these steps could reduce gambling-related harm for both children and adults. They specifically propose minimum spend thresholds of €5, €10 or €15 to deter impulsive participation and limit underage gambling.

The report notes a discrepancy in how Ireland regulates cheap addictive products. "We have progressively restricted the availability of inexpensive tobacco products by banning single cigarettes and requiring a minimum pack size of 20 cigarettes. However, €1 and €2 scratchcards remain widely available," the researchers state. Dr Frank Houghton, the study's lead author and principal investigator at the Tobacco, Alcohol and Gambling Research Group at the Technological University of the Shannon, said the comparison is apt. "The gambling, tobacco and alcohol industries are all essentially addiction industries, and we should never forget that," Houghton said.

Houghton emphasized that lessons from tobacco control could directly inform gambling policy. "If we learn from the achievements of tobacco control, we can help protect both children and adults from becoming problem gamblers," he said. The study highlights underage access as a major concern, citing 2024 test-purchase exercises by the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery. Those exercises found almost 30 per cent of retailers were willing to sell lottery products to children. The authors warn that international evidence shows people who start gambling before the legal age are far more likely to develop problems later.

Beyond scratchcards and minimum spends, the researchers propose a suite of additional regulatory measures. These include stricter controls on gambling advertising and point-of-sale marketing, mandatory health warnings on betting products, and plain packaging for National Lottery scratchcards. Other recommendations are stronger enforcement of existing laws, raising the minimum gambling age to 21, increasing gambling taxes, and introducing a retailer licence fee for National Lottery sales. The study cites Economic and Social Research Institute estimates that Ireland has 130,000 problem gamblers, with a further 279,000 people showing moderate indicators of problem gambling. The researchers contend that applying a public health framework, similar to those used for tobacco and alcohol, is crucial for reducing this harm. They argue such an approach could be particularly effective in protecting younger people from developing harmful gambling habits.