ESRI Study for Irish Regulator: 77% of Gamblers Bet Online, and 54% With an Account Open a Second

^{Government Buildings in Dublin. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan launched the new research on Irish gambling behaviour. (Photo: David Kernan / Wikimedia Commons)}

More than three quarters of Irish gamblers, 77%, played online in the past year, according to new research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) for the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). The study, published on 4 November 2026, is based on a representative survey of 1,000 gamblers and gives the regulator its most detailed picture yet of everyday betting habits.

It lands as the GRAI phases in its licensing and regulatory functions, and the findings point directly at the rules it plans to write for licensed operators, particularly around account opening and closing, spending limits, and advertising.

How Irish Players Use Online Accounts

The survey found 59% of respondents had gambled in person in the previous year, and 44% had done both. Nearly four in ten people who opened an online account to bet on horses, sport or lotteries went on to other products, such as online casino games, slots and scratch cards.

Multiple accounts are common. Some 54% of gamblers who had opened an online account went on to open a second, citing good odds, easy registration and promotional offers among the main reasons. Around 10% of online gamblers held four or more accounts. The finding comes as Stake blocked access for Irish customers after a GRAI intervention, showing how quickly operators can be affected by the new regime.

More than half of online account holders are gambling using multiple accounts, often simultaneously across different platforms, according to GRAI chief executive Anne Marie Caulfield.

Notifications, Losses and Cutting Back

In their most recent session, 26% of online gamblers said they lost 'a lot', compared with 17% of in-person gamblers. One in seven said their last online session followed an email, app notification or gambling advertisement, and roughly one in five reported getting notifications every day.

One in five online sessions interrupted another activity, with work and family time reported most often. One in four respondents said they were trying to reduce their gambling or planned to. Of those already cutting back, one in three said they were gambling the same amount or more than a year earlier. Many said opening an account or depositing was easier than closing an account or withdrawing winnings.

What the Regulator Says Comes Next

Speaking at the launch, Caulfield said the research 'confirms the need for new obligations which will be placed on licensed operators'. She said the GRAI's focus would be on practical and proportionate protections, including marketing standards, effective account controls and self-exclusion arrangements, while regulation keeps pace with how people gamble.

Pete Lunn, head of the ESRI's Behavioural Research Unit, noted that many consumers gamble for entertainment without harm, but said the study sheds light on the pathways that may lead some people to it. He said it raises the question of what online consumers are signing up for and whether they understand it. Jim O'Callaghan, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, called the report a useful input to an evidence-based regulatory framework.

For operators, the direction is clear. Account opening, closing and notification practices are now in the regulator's sights, at a time when calls for higher tax on online casinos in Ireland are also on the table. Players can expect more visible limit-setting tools and tighter rules on marketing messages once licensing is fully in place.