Irish Parents Offering Help to Spot Gambling Among Youngsters

by Roy Brindley 14.07.2026

A new campaign to help parents spot the signs of underage gambling has been launched in Ireland.

A campaign to help parents start important conversations about the risks of underage gambling has been launched in Ireland. © Getty Images

Key Facts:

• Irish parents get help to spot signs of gambling among young people.
• Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland recommends early intervention.
• Children who gamble are twice as likely to develop a gambling problem as adults.
• Ireland now has heavy penalties for allowing children to gamble.

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has launched a media campaign designed to encourage parents and guardians to be alert to the signs of gambling among young people and to intervene early to prevent gambling harm.

As Ireland’s independent statutory regulator for gambling activities (excluding the National Lottery), the GRAI is responsible for licensing, enforcement, consumer protection, and the reduction of gambling harm.

The organisation’s new public awareness campaign – promoted across video-on-demand, radio, digital audio, and social media platforms – is designed to bring its new message directly to families across the Republic of Ireland.

Harmless Fun Can Still Involve Risk – With Blurred Lines

GRAI says the signs of gambling are not always visible. Therefore, in partnership with the Health Service Executive (HSE) Addiction Services, it has developed a dedicated advice area on its website to provide families with the knowledge needed to recognise indicators and start conversations with their children about gambling, including where to seek help if required.

“With the lines between entertainment and gambling increasingly blurred, especially online, what may look like harmless fun can still involve risk, money and chance, in ways that affect young developing brains,” a GRAI news release reads.

Alarmingly, the organisation states research commissioned by the GRAI and conducted by the Dublin-based not-for-profit independent Economic and Social Research Institute found that children who gamble are twice as likely to develop a gambling problem as adults.

Look Out for the Warning Signs

Speaking about the risk of gambling in young people, Anne Marie Caulfield, CEO of the GRAI, said: “We have launched this campaign to help parents start an important conversation about the risks of underage gambling.”

“Children and young people are among the most at-risk members of Irish society when it comes to gambling exposure and harm. Children’s brains are still developing the judgment and impulse-control systems used to weigh up risk, which makes gambling appealing to them.”

“With online gambling available at any time of the day, it is easy for the warning signs to be hidden. The guidance the GRAI developed with the HSE Addiction Services sets out some of the key behavioural signs to look out for in your child.”

Modest Penalties Replaced by the Heaviest

Child protection is one of the key principles of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. GRAI says once the Act is fully commenced, Ireland will have among the heaviest penalties in the EU for allowing children to gamble.

Under former legislation – the Betting Act 1931 – penalties for taking bets from underage individuals were relatively modest, primarily fines. A ‘reasonable belief’ defence was also available to offenders, and prosecutions were rare.