A new outpatient addiction service has been launched in Athlone, Co Westmeath in response to increased demand for treatment from the west of the country, particularly among those affected by gambling.
The Rutland Centre, which runs a specialist addiction treatment service in Knocklyon in Dublin, is introducing a second outpatient service to the midlands, reports RTE.
The new service responds to growing demand from people who previously faced lengthy journeys to Dublin to access treatment.
Karl Fitzharris, treatment co-ordinator for the new Athlone programme, said: “For too long, we’ve had to turn away people who desperately wanted treatment because travelling to Dublin twice a week simply wasn’t practical,” reports RTE.
The service in Athlone will also offer funded treatment places for gambling and gaming addiction.
The Rutland Centre runs Ireland’s only dedicated gambling addiction treatment service, reports RTE.
“What we were recognising is that people from much further afield over to the west of the country were coming to access the outpatients programme that we have here,” Mr Fitzharris said.
Gambling has the highest mortality rate of any commonly treated addiction, reports RTE.
“The mortality rate of somebody in gambling addiction is six to eight times higher than somebody in an alcohol or cocaine addiction,” Mr Fitzharris said.
“There’s a really elevated risk of suicidal ideation and attempts.
“It can lead to financial ruin, leading to despair and hopelessness.
“There’s chronic stress, which can result in cardiovascular issues.
“And there’s a huge rate of co-occurring mental health issues,” reports RTE.
Problem Gambling
One in 30 Irish adults, or 3.3%, suffer from problem gambling, according to a 2023 study from the ESRI, with those affected spending more than €1,000 per month on gambling.
Last year, 14% of Rutland’s patients had gambling as their primary addiction, reports RTE.
Mr Fitzharris said “access [to gambling products] is a huge issue,” adding: “It’s like having a bookies in your pocket.”
Although the Rutland Centre only treats adults, most say they began placing bets long before the age of 18, with nearly two-thirds of Irish adults having first gambled before turning 18, according to the ESRI study, reports RTE.
The rise of cryptocurrencies, prediction markets and online casino products are all relatively recent phenomena beginning to appear in treatment settings.
Maebh Mullaney, chief executive of the Rutland Centre, said all the new products are “exacerbating the situation,” reports RTE.
“And I think that’s where the work of the regulator is going to become really, really important to get a handle on that.
“It is such a fast-moving industry … it evolves and it changes at a pace that’s very difficult for services to keep up with,” she said, reports RTE.
Ms Mullaney said she would “really like to see the Social Impact Fund get up and running.”
The Social Impact Fund was introduced in the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 to provide major public investment in prevention, education, treatment, recovery and research related to gambling harm in Ireland, but two years on, the rate of contribution and the timeframe for the fund’s launch have yet to be announced by the Department of Justice, reports RTE.
“Services are running on limited resources,” Ms Mullaney said.
“I think the demand is growing.
“I think the needs and the complexity of addiction is growing and that includes gambling.
“So, I think the Social Impact Fund is going to be really, really important for services to be able to meet the need that’s going to emerge over the coming years,” reports RTE.
Former Offaly GAA player Niall McNamee, who completed the Rutland programme in 2011, said gambling has changed enormously since his treatment.
“Traditionally sports betting was horse racing, dog racing, football.
“It’s kind of moved away from that now with more casino-based gambling – it’s very much one bet and just keep the person there, keep them at the wheel, keep them on the laptop, keep them spinning after spin after spin after spin.
“Those are the types of products that really need a lot more research done from a regulatory point of view,” he said, reports RTE.
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