Dr. Crystal Fulton:

When we spoke to gamblers about the social connections, they reported finding it quite complex to get help. Insurance, for example, might cover them only for alcohol addiction so they might have to present as having an alcohol addiction as opposed to a gambling addiction. This is going on in the background.

With regard to funding, participants wanted to see more services. They asked specifically that services be put in place everywhere in the country. One of the points that emerged was the business of family and friends feeling excluded. Participants wanted more services to help family and friends because they are deeply affected by their loved ones' gambling. There are very few services in the country that administer to people whose families have been affected. For families, there is the RISE Foundation but it is located in Dublin. Not everybody can come to Dublin. It does not matter whether one is really well off or not when suffering from a gambling problem. It is a level playing field at the end because no one has any money. Without money, how does one come to Dublin for treatment? Participants wanted services to be spread to all the regions in the country. They want more of them. They wanted specific services to help families and anyone affected by their gambling.