Problem gambling can have a negative impact on finances, mental health, relationships, and work. But only 7 to 12% of people with problem gambling seek treatment. This study described treated problem gambling in Ireland. The researchers used data from the Irish National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS). The NDTRS is a national database of addiction treatment in Ireland. The researchers found a total of 2999 gambling treatment episodes were entered in the database between 2008 and 2019. More than half (52.7%) reported gambling as their sole problem. But 47.3% reported problem gambling as well as other problems. Most episodes involved men (93.8%). About 20% lived with children. There were high levels of employment (35.4%) and formal education qualifications. Problem gambling often occurred with problem use of other substances (47.3%), like alcohol and cocaine. Most episodes were treated at inpatient settings (56.1%) and involved self-referral (46.3%).
