GRAI Launches National Campaign to Help Parents Spot Early Signs of Underage Gambling

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has unveiled a nationwide campaign aimed at equipping parents and guardians with the tools to identify and address underage gambling. Announced on Monday, the initiative was developed in partnership with the Health Service Executive (HSE) Addiction Services and combines online guidance with a multimedia awareness drive across video-on-demand, radio, digital audio networks, and social media platforms.

The campaign is underpinned by research from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), commissioned by the GRAI, which found that children who gamble are twice as likely to develop gambling-related problems in adulthood. The same study revealed that 64% of adults surveyed reported having gambled before turning 18, and that betting as a minor increased the likelihood of developing a gambling problem later in life by 83% to 87%. Additionally, individuals with a parent who gambled were 80% more likely to experience gambling problems themselves.

Practical Guidance for Families

The GRAI's guidance urges parents to initiate early, age-appropriate conversations about gambling risks and to be alert for behavioural changes that may signal a problem. Warning signs include mood swings, increased secrecy about money, declining school performance, social withdrawal, poor sleep, and requests for more money. The campaign also draws attention to often-overlooked gambling-like features in video games, such as loot boxes and other randomised reward mechanisms.

"Children and young people are among the most at-risk members of Irish society when it comes to gambling exposure and harm," said Anne Marie Caulfield, CEO of the GRAI. She highlighted that with online gambling available around the clock, "it is easy for the warning signs to be hidden," reinforcing the need for proactive parental involvement.

Legislative Backdrop and Broader Context

The campaign reinforces the child-protection objectives of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which, once fully enacted, will introduce some of the strictest penalties in the European Union for permitting minors to gamble. The GRAI, established last year to oversee the new regime, is adopting a phased approach to licensing, with betting licence applications opening on 9 February 2026. The regulator emphasised that the application process will impose substantial requirements on operators regarding age verification, advertising restrictions, and product design to shield children from gambling exposure.

Ireland is not acting in isolation. In March 2025, Norway launched a four-year action plan to combat underage gambling, featuring school and club outreach, digital campaigns, and training for parents, educators, and other professionals to identify early signs of gambling harms. The GRAI has directed families to the HSE Addiction Services for further support, anticipating that increased awareness may drive more referrals to consumer protection and treatment providers.