Irish Examiner View: Lack of action is gambling with lives

International comparisons show that around nine or 10 people are negatively affected by one problem gambler

Legislation to facilitate the establishment of a gambling regulator was published to replace what was described as an 'outdated, fragmented' legal framework under which gambling currently operates. Picture: Philip Toscano/PA Wire

The Health Research Board (HRB), which has issued its first report on gambling trends, found a 20% reduction in gambling overall, with the number of people who gamble falling from almost 2.4m in 2014/15 to 1.9m in 2019/20. 

That’s the good news, but it masks the reality of the problem because the biggest reduction was seen in those buying lottery tickets or scratch cards — down from 57% to 42% over the same period.