![]() "It’s available 24/7, 365 days a year and it doesn’t matter if live sport is on or called off.” "Online poker and casino games are the most addictive of the lot they’re the crack cocaine or heroin of betting. Online never closes and if you already have a gambling problem and move online, it’s bad news. “Bookies shops are dangerous enough, but online is a totally different animal,” Mr Grant said. The small percentage looking for its helpline number and counselling services has remained stable. Still, in each of the last two years, Problem Gambling Ireland has seen a 50% annual increase in visitors to its website looking for self-help tips. ![]() However, since restrictions eased, there has been a normalisation and a return to regular betting practices, Mr Grant said. He said when sport stopped, there was a surge in Irish online gamblers migrating to online casino sites and even a rise in alternative betting such as on cryptocurrency value movements. It is a trend that consumer support group Problem Gambling Ireland has seen here.Ĭhief executive Barry Grant said there was “a rapid onset” of gambling problems at the beginning of the Covid lockdowns, with younger recreational gamblers "at risk of spiralling out of control". ![]() However, despite its strong results, 888 did note an easing in revenue growth in the final quarter of the year as Covid restrictions were lifted in its major markets.
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