Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 17 April 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality

Regulation of Gambling Sector: Discussion

Dr. Crystal Fulton:

When I spoke to addiction counsellors, I asked them about addiction, what it looked like and what happens. They spoke of it being a mental health issue where there is an emotional change that one is looking for. One is looking for that kind of good feeling hit by gambling. It is not even necessarily the loss at the end of it; it is the anticipation leading up to that moment when one finds the outcome. We sometimes assume we understand gambling harm, but we do not always.