GPA chiefs warn on rise in gambling

GPA chiefs have revealed a third of the players who came through their counselling programme are suffering with gambling problems.

Tyrone defender Cathal McCarron last weekend became the third high profile inter-county player known to suffer from the addiction coming after Oisín McConville and Niall McNamee.

Following policy, GPA head of communications Sean Potts refused to comment on McCarron’s situation.

However, he stressed how concerned the official players body are about gambling among their membership.

“Under no circumstances do we pay out for the debts incurred by the individual. We provide support for the player in terms of diagnosis, treatment and after-care associated with an addiction like this.

“It’s an emerging problem with Irish society but we can only deal with what we see. It came to our attention with the establishment of our counselling programme.

“Of the 100 people that have been through it, over a third of them have been gambling cases.

“We are a small group but that is a very significant proportion of the people who have been treated.

“Is it a worry? It’s a growing worry, and nothing that we have seen of late has allayed any of those fears.”

The GPA have embarked on an education campaign on the problems of gambling with a publication being released to all inter-county players. Part of the guide deals with match-fixing.

“While there has been no evidence of it,” said Potts, “it’s an area we would rather tackle now than in the future.”

Potts also stated inter-county players are more exposed to the dangers of gambling. “Given their type of lifestyle, especially for more higher achieving players and not socialising at the same level as their peers, they can seek highs in different ways. Everything in their position is built towards high emotional extremes and when you’re told you can’t go out (socialising) for six weeks it might seem interminable.”

The GPA recorded a spike in the number of players contacting them seeking help following Offaly’ forward McNamee and Cavan goalkeeper Alan O’Mara coming forward on their respective difficulties with gambling and depression. “It trailed off during the summer as you would imagine with the Championship,” revealed Potts, “but we expect those numbers might now be on the increase again.”