The Argument for Ethical Funding of Problem Gambling Services

Do you want to help support people affected by problem gambling? 

​Please share this post and consider making a donation. 

In January 2016, I set up the website, www.problemgambling.ie.  The aim was to provide a resource for people affected by gambling-related harm in Ireland, that was independent of the gambling industry.  Our website traffic has been steadily growing, along with emails, texts and calls to our helpline.  Yesterday, as Gamble Aware Ireland closed down, they redirected their website traffic to our site (with our consent).  We expect to see a substantial increase in calls over the coming months.  

Website Traffic (Unique Visitors): Jan 2016 - June 2018

In addition to the website and helpline service, we also provide outreach services, in the form of talks, workshops and training, nationwide.  Our goal is to have at least one problem gambling specialist providing outreach, counselling and group facilitation services in each county.  
 
Currently, we do not have a core funder, to cover the cost of a full-time helpline service.  This means that, at present, we can only provide a 'call-back' service (as I am unable to take calls while I'm with counselling clients or delivering outreach).  Our fundraising goal for 2018 is €96,000.  This would cover the cost of two full-time staff to provide a full-time helpline and outreach service.  It would also be used to cover travel and other related costs on the outreach service.

When I tell people what I do for a living, someone will usually say: 'You should get the bookies to pay for that'.  And, of course there is a logic to that sentiment: the industry that creates the addictive product should pay to clean up 'their mess'.  At a superficial level, this kind of makes sense.  The problem with this approach, though, is that addiction services end up working for an industry that they are (or should be) in direct conflict with.  International research has shown that between 40% and 60% of gambling industry profits come from people with gambling problems.  There is no business in the world that would willingly exclude half of its customers.  

Pope Francis recently said: “Gambling companies finance campaigns to care for the pathological gamblers that they create.  And the day that the weapons industry finances hospitals to care for the children mutilated by their bombs, the system will have reached its pinnacle.”  Scrape the surface and the conflict of interest is quite clear.  

The Irish Government does not have a funding stream for problem gambling services.  The HSE Service Plan does not mention the word 'gambling' once.  Our proposal (in collaboration with the Rutland Center) that a portion of the Betting Duty, which brings in roughly €50 million per year, could be allocated to problem gambling services (instead of the Horse Racing & Greyhound Fund) was unsuccessful.  

​In short, we need your help.  

A monthly donation of €10 per month from 800 people (or €5 per month from 1600 people) would have a radical impact on our ability to support the thousands of people in Ireland who are affected by gambling-related harm, as well as helping us to deliver preventative interventions to at-risk groups (children and young people, in particular). 
  
In Ireland, 1 in 10 of us will be affected by gambling-related harm in our lifetimes.  Half of the people who contact our service are family members in distress.   

If you would like to help support people affected by problem gambling in Ireland, you can donate here:  https://www.problemgambling.ie/donate.html 

Thank You

Barry Grant, CEO, Problem Gambling Ireland
 
Problem Gambling Ireland is a registered charity.  RCN: 20154738