Omnipresent: Online Gambling in Ireland

McMahon, Kevin (2022) Omnipresent: Online Gambling in Ireland. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

Introduction: The gambling industry (GI) has undergone significant changes in recent years as it has embraced new technologies encompassing online gambling which have altered business models and the functioning of operators. Through the medium of mobile phones and other portable technologies, changes can be seen in the behaviours of those who gamble and indeed the type of gambling taking place. A persistent lack of knowledge about the impacts that such changes are having on individuals, communities and societies persists. Online gambling has been shown to have significant associations with increased risk for disordered gambling behaviours with significant, with specific analysis of online gambling and multi-modal gambling being sparsely examined in Ireland and the wider European region.

Sample: Access to the dataset of the recently published Health Research Board’s gambling sub-section of the 2019-20 National Drugs and Alcohol Survey in the Republic of Ireland enabled analysis of 152 online gamblers contained within 5762 total respondents.

Methods: Individual analysis of respondents’ problem gambling severity, gambling behaviours across specific gambling activities, gambling frequency, average monthly expenditures and socio-demographics was performed with comparisons made to those who do not gamble online and all gamblers cumulatively. Linear regression analysis was performed relating to online gamblers and predictors of increased gambling severity.

Results: Significant results related to the presence of multi-modal gambling and increased gambling severity in at-risk or problem online gamblers when compared to non-online at risk or problem gamblers. Regression analysis demonstrated a positive relationship between multi-modal gambling, male gender and online gambling individually and cumulatively.

Conclusion: Further research with larger, more representative datasets of online gamblers is necessary. Specific examination of the extent to which multi-modal gambling in an online setting can become an independent risk factor for risky gambling behaviours and disordered gambling is recommended. This can help to further establish the extent of online and multi-modal gambling’s impact in Ireland and help to shape and distil the research agenda and impact on policy and regulation of online gambling.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > Games and Amusements > Gambling D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain > Ireland
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Business Administration
Depositing User:	Clara Chan
Date Deposited:	05 Oct 2022 14:06
Last Modified:	05 Oct 2022 14:06
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/5807

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