Special offers are enticing gamblers to bet more, according to a report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). It warns that addicts are particularly vulnerable.
ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit ran an experiment involving more than 600 men aged under 40 ahead of the Euro 2024 football championship.
Researchers found that offers and inducements altered betting behaviour, encouraging gamblers to spend more than they would have done.
“Gambling offers – such as free bets and moneyback guarantees – entice people to bet more”, the ESRI concluded. “Those at risk of problem gambling [are] especially susceptible”, the institute warns.
The study was funded by the new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). The authority will ultimately be responsible for regulating and licensing all gambling providers in Ireland.
“Participants were given money to place up to six realistic bets on Euro 2024 matches. Half the participants, selected at random, were presented with offers of free bets and moneyback guarantees on some bets, while the other half saw no offers. These inducements caused participants to spend over 10% more and almost halved the number of people opting not to bet.”
Dr Diarmaid Ó Ceallaigh from the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit said their findings are alarming.
“Our findings imply that gambling offers aren’t merely marketing tools, but pose a real risk of financial harm, particularly among vulnerable groups.”
“The results support the case for stricter regulation of gambling offers in Ireland, following steps already taken in other European countries, such as banning sign-up bonuses, restricting offers to at-risk individuals, and capping their value.”
The CEO of Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, Anne Marie Caulfield, welcomed the report as useful evidence.
“The findings of this study add weight to the discourse around the harms of gambling inducements and I very much welcome this additional evidence base.
We are committed to continued research to understand the extent of gambling in Ireland, the drivers of gambling harms and the impact of inducements and advertising on gambling behaviours.
We are actively engaged with a broad range of stakeholders including with industry, charities and with people who have lived experience of harm caused by gambling.
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 sets out obligations for licensees in the way in which inducements can be offered, including a ban on targeted inducements, and the findings of this study affirm these measures”.