A leading medical professional has called for tighter regulation to curb online gambling addiction in Ireland after the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a surge in young people seeking support. He has visited schools where children have told him about having easy access to gambling sites. "Some students, usually around the age of 15, report accessing online betting accounts and using a credit card to access the site." The Extern Problem Gambling Project, formerly Problem Gambling Ireland, has seen a 55pc increase in new visitors to its website year-on-year in 2020, with a marked rise in people contacting the helpline service since Covid restrictions were put in place. Mr Grant is calling for regulation across the island of Ireland, describing online gambling as "the most accessible" of all addictive products.

Source: Irish Independent October 11, 2020 01:38 UTC