Gambling has caused problems for 10% of Irish adults — ESRI

THe new figures from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) show that around one in 30 adults in Ireland, or 130,000 people, are problem gamblers. File picture: iStock

One in 10 adults are now either problem gamblers or report gambling has caused multiple problems in their lives, with stark new figures laying bare a new "public health emergency" in Ireland.

The landmark study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to be published on Thursday says that there are 10 times the number of problem gamblers in this country than previously thought, which it says has “serious implications for understanding the role that gambling plays in Irish life”.