Enacting a gambling law is risk-free

WHILE most Irish families will sit down to a hearty meal tomorrow to celebrate Christmas, some will have bare cupboards and empty tables.

Poverty, social deprivation, and homelessnes all take their toll, but so too do addictions to alcohol, drugs and, as our report today indicates, gambling.

Ironically, the misery of gambling addiction is often associated with the joy and pleasure of sport. They tend to go hand in hand. While the once-a-year flutter on a horse running in the Grand National is unlikely to cause problems, some unfortunate people get caught up in a vicious cycle of winning and losing, and end up with an uncontrollable urge to gamble.