'Frightening' rise in online gambling during Covid-19, reports Limerick treatment centre 

'It starts off low, but for an increasing number it just escalates out of control and they find themselves addicted to the thing. It's the perfect storm.'

An addiction treatment centre in Co Limerick is dealing with what a senior counsellor describes as a "frightening" increase in problems created by online gambling during the pandemic.

Michael Guerin, who works at Cuan Mhuire in Bruree, said: "Online gambling has taken off to new levels during the pandemic. It was always there, creating problems for young men in particular, but now it has got to a new and frightening level, and we are seeing more women getting into financial difficulties, getting hooked on the varied packages on offer by gambling and gaming organisations."