A new outpatient addiction treatment service has opened in Athlone, County Westmeath, as healthcare providers respond to growing demand for support, particularly from people struggling with gambling addiction in western and midland counties.
The new unit, launched by the Rutland Centre, expands the organisation’s services beyond its long-established treatment facility in Knocklyon, Dublin. The Athlone programme aims to improve access for people who previously faced long journeys to attend therapy sessions several times a week.
Karl Fitzharris, treatment co-ordinator for the Athlone service, said many people seeking help had been unable to commit to treatment because travelling to Dublin regularly was not practical.
“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,” he said.
The Athlone centre will also provide funded treatment places for gambling and gaming addiction. The Rutland Centre currently operates Ireland’s only dedicated treatment programme focused specifically on gambling addiction.
Fitzharris warned that gambling addiction carries severe health risks, saying its mortality rate is significantly higher than many other commonly treated addictions.
“The mortality rate of somebody in gambling addiction is six to eight times higher than somebody in an alcohol or cocaine addiction,” he said, adding that financial collapse, hopelessness and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts are common consequences.
Research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that almost two-thirds of Irish adults placed their first bet before reaching the age of 18. The study also estimated that around one in every 30 adults in Ireland experiences problem gambling, with affected individuals spending more than €1,000 each month on betting activities.
Rutland Centre chief executive Maebh Mullaney said the rapid growth of online casinos, cryptocurrencies and prediction markets has transformed the gambling landscape and created new challenges for treatment providers.
She called for the implementation of the Social Impact Fund established under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which is intended to finance prevention programmes, education, treatment, recovery services and research. Although the legislation has been in place for two years, details on funding levels and the launch date have yet to be announced.
Former Offaly Gaelic footballer Niall McNamee, who completed treatment at the Rutland Centre in 2011, said gambling has changed dramatically over the past decade.
He noted that traditional sports betting has increasingly been replaced by fast-paced online casino products designed to keep users continuously engaged.
Gamblers’ Anonymous has also reported a sharp increase in membership since the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among young adults and women. The organisation now holds more than 120 meetings each week across Ireland through in-person, telephone and virtual formats.
Its public relations officer said smartphones, digital payment systems and targeted online advertising have made gambling more accessible than ever, describing modern betting platforms as “a bookies in your pocket.” He also expressed concern about increasingly personalised digital marketing aimed at vulnerable users, saying many members report receiving highly targeted gambling promotions that appear to track their online behaviour.
