A costly addiction

THE Rutland Centre, Ireland’s largest private rehabilitation centre for addiction, is seeing an increase of almost 300% in the numbers undergoing treatment for gambling addiction.

Dr Fiona Weldon, clinical director at the centre, says about 1% to 3% of the general population has a gambling problem.

“About 8% of our clients are presenting with primary gambling addiction. Of that, about 10% would have a cross addiction (a combination of compulsive gambling and alcoholism).”