Gambling offers lure people into betting more, ESRI report finds

Irish Independent

03-07-2025

Published today, a new study titled 'Effects of inducements on sports gambling and decision-­errors' was conducted by the Behavioural Research Unit of the ESRI.
The research, funded by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), used a controlled experiment on a sample of 622 men aged under 40, just before the Euro 2024 football championship, to test whether offers or 'inducements' change the betting behaviour.
As part of the experiment, participants were given money to place up to six realistic bets on Euro 2024 matches.
Half of the group, which was selected randomly, were presented with offers of free bets and money-back guarantees on some bets, while the other half saw no offers.
These offers caused participants to spend over 10pc more of their money, and decreased the number of people who chose not to bet at all by almost half.
Some bets were intentionally designed as 'bad bets', offering odds well below market rates, which meant that participants were better off choosing other options or not betting at all. Those who were exposed to these offers were three times more likely to spend money on these bad bets.
ESRI postdoctoral research fellow and the co-author of the study, Dr Diarmaid Ó Ceallaigh, said the findings 'imply that gambling offers aren't merely marketing tools, but pose a real risk of financial harm, particularly among vulnerable groups'.
We are committed to continued research to understand the extent of gambling in Ireland
'The results support the case for stricter regulation of gambling offers in Ireland, following steps already taken in other European countries, such as banning ­sign-up bonuses, restricting offers to at-risk individuals, and capping their value,' Dr Ó Ceallaigh added.
The study also showed those at risk of problem gambling were more affected by the inducements than those not at risk.
Even though the majority of participants were regular ­bettors, most did not realise there were restrictions on free bets and that they would not receive their stake back if they won a free bet – both of which are standard practice in the market.
The CEO of the GRAI, Anne Marie Caulfield, said the findings 'add weight to the discourse around the harms of gambling inducements'.
'We are committed to continued research to understand the extent of gambling in Ireland, the drivers of gambling harms and the impact of inducements and advertising on gambling behaviours,' she said.
'We are actively engaged with a broad range of stakeholders, including with industry, charities and with people who have lived experience of harm caused by gambling.
'The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 sets out obligations for licensees in the way in which inducements can be offered, including a ban on targeted inducements, and the findings of this study affirm these measures.'