This article contains multiple references to suicide. This may be triggering to some readers.
Gambling was identified in the coroner files of 23 deaths by suicide in Ireland over a six-year period since 2015, according to the results of the first national study to investigate suicide and gambling.
The new research findings published by the Institute of Public Health (IPH), HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) and Health Research Board (HRB) provide, for the first time, baseline data on deaths by probable or research-determined suicide* in Ireland, where gambling was identified in the coroners’ files as an event that may have affected the deceased’s emotional state prior to their death.
The research analysed 3,625 deaths by probable suicide recorded by coroners throughout Ireland between 2015 and 2020. Data from the Irish Probable Suicide Death Study were systematically searched to identify all deaths where gambling was noted by the coroner.
The study found that gambling was documented in 23 or 0.6% of all deaths by probable suicide recorded over this six-year period. It also found an overrepresentation of males (91%) and the mean age was 38.7 years.
The extent and nature of the relationship between gambling and suicide is largely unknown, complex and linked to several socioeconomic factors, interpersonal issues, and mental health conditions, including addiction.
According to the study, associations with mental ill-health and substance use were common but not universal. Pre-existing vulnerabilities or risk factors were found to include a history of mood disorders, as well as drugs and/or alcohol dependency or past suicide attempts. Additional risk factors, closer to the time of death, included reports of recent depression, anxiety, substance use, recent inpatient hospital discharge, financial problems, interpersonal problems, and stressful life events.
The findings were published in the journal, Addictive Behaviours, and can be accessed here.
The study highlighted the need for:
- standardisation and improvements in the detection of gambling in deaths by suicide,
- advances in gambling operator data sharing practices, such as betting accounts of the deceased, could also aid in identifying gambling products that are higher risk and therefore in need of more stringent regulation.
The findings support a public health approach to reducing gambling harm and may be used to inform a new national suicide prevention strategy, as well as crosscutting policies and legislation relating to gambling and mental health.
The Department of Health is currently developing a successor strategy to Ireland’s national strategy to reduce suicide, Connecting for Life (2015-2024).
In October 2024, the Gambling Regulation Act was passed into law in Ireland. This allows for the establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), which is expected in the coming weeks. Priorities for the GRAI include commencing a licensing regime for the sector, developing codes of practice, and in time establishing a National Gambling Exclusion Register.
Gambling harms not only affect the health and wellbeing of individuals who gamble, but also impact their families, communities, and wider society. Research shows that for every one person with a gambling problem, six people are adversely affected.
In Ireland, there are an estimated 130,000 adults with a gambling problem. A recent study by IPH and the Tobacco Free Research Institute also found that almost a quarter of 16-year-olds in Ireland gambled for money in the previous year.
The findings come as the Northern Ireland Assembly this week discussed a motion on Supporting a Public Health Approach to Tackling Gambling-Related Harms.
Across the globe, there is increasing concern and focus on the relationship between gambling and suicidality. Studies from several jurisdictions have shown that among people receiving treatment for problem gambling, between 22% and 81% have thought about suicide, and 7% to 30% have attempted suicide.
Lead author of the study, Dr Ciara Reynolds (IPH), said: “This study provides an initial insight into the complex relationship between gambling and deaths by suicide in Ireland. These findings could inform the regulation of gambling and policies on suicide prevention and mental health. We hope this study is a catalyst for further research and increased detection of gambling harms, helping more people to connect early with available supports”.
Commenting on the study Dr Suzi Lyons, Senior Research, Health Research Board (HRB) said: “The findings in this report highlight the importance of high-quality data that the HRB collect from coroner files to help better understand this significant public health issue.”
CEO Designate of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), Anne Marie Caulfield, welcomed the publication of the “important study” and provided an update on the establishment of the Authority.
The GRAI CEO Designate said: “The findings and recommendations are a valuable contribution to evidence based research on gambling harms. The establishment of the GRAI will be a significant milestone in ensuring a well-regulated gambling sector that protects the public from harms associated with gambling. The Authority’s remit, once established, is extensive and some of the public protection provisions are a first in Ireland. For example, in the coming months, we will be developing a strategy for the establishment of a Social Impact Fund. We will also be developing an ICT system to support the establishment of a National Gambler Exclusion Register. We have a lot of preparatory work done to begin a phased introduction of our licensing and regulatory functions and are very committed to helping address gambling harms in line with the strong public health ethos of the Gambling Regulation Act.”
*Probable or research-determined suicide – The Irish Probable Suicide Death Study classified a death as a suicide on the balance of probabilities (i.e. civil standard of proof). To this end, it includes all coroner-determined and research-determined suicides, meaning deaths that were more likely than not, based on the weight of evidence, to have been a suicide.