A recovering gambling addict has said he placed his first bet when he was aged between six and eight years old, and his gambling "spiralled" out of control as a young adult.
Chris Joyce, from Knocknacarra in Galway, is more than six years in recovery from gambling and alcohol addiction.
"I was aged between six and eight. It would have been quite a small bet on the (Aintree) Grand National," the 31-year-old told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
Mr Joyce took part in a residential programme at the Rutland Centre in Knocklyon, in Dublin, where he received in-house treatment for his addictions.
"It really spiralled out of control when I got my first job in a retail store in Galway city. On one side was a bookmaker and on the other side there was a pub. That was my two addictions hand in hand.
"On numerous occasions I went into the toilet on a break and sat and gambled on my phone secretly," he said.
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A 2023 study from the Economic and Social Research Institute estimated that one in 30 adults in Ireland are problem gamblers, equating to approximately 130,000 people.
Mr Joyce was speaking on the day that the Rutland Centre announced details of Ireland’s first fully funded Gambling and Gaming Specific Outpatient Programme.
Prior to receiving treatment at the Rutland Centre, he had sought help from Gamblers Anonymous but only, he says, "to get people off my back."
Around that time in 2016, his mother found a letter detailing a bank loan that he intended to use for gambling. It was one of Mr Joyce’s lowest points.
"I point blank denied it was a bank loan, and I had tried to hide it before she found it.
"I’m very grateful to this day that she found that letter because I wouldn’t be sitting here today if it wasn’t for that.
"That night I went for a walk with my dog, and I don't say it lightly but if hadn't brought my dog with me I probably wouldn't have returned home," he reflected.
Two years later Mr Joyce was referred to the Rutland Centre by former Armagh footballer and current Wicklow senior football manager Oisin McConville - himself a recovered gambling addict.
Mr Joyce said that reflecting on that period of his life is painful but necessary.
"On moment that stands out for me was Christmas Day morning 2018. My mother and my brothers had come to visit.
"I was looking out the window and I remember seeing them in the car eating Christmas sandwiches.
"I remember going to bed that night thinking, 'this is what has become of my life'. Looking out at them on Christmas morning.
"I very quickly realised that it wasn't a game anymore.
"The person I was back then was very defeated physically and mentally.
"I wasn't sure what my focus was in life was, but that has completely changed six-and-a-half years on. I'm the happiest I've ever been," he said.
The Rutland Centre initiative aims to provide targeted support to people struggling with gambling addiction and to bridge the gap in services for those in need of specialised treatment.
The ten-week programme is designed for people over the age of 18 who present with gambling addiction, using the World Health Organization's definition and defining characteristics of addiction.
Emma Kavanagh, Head of Clinical Services at the Rutland Centre, said that the programme will cater for 26 funded places for the year.
"We’re hoping that we might be able to grow that as the years go on," Ms Kavanagh, who oversees the Residential, Outpatient, Aftercare and Assessment departments, said.
"The referral pathway is through the HSE. They'll make contact with us and we'll contact individuals directly.
"We'll invite them for a comprehensive assessment, and we'll help people to decipher have they crossed that line from recreational gambling into gambling addiction.
"Problem gambling is something we are seeing more of here at The Rutland, particularly among young men.
"Mobile phones and online gambling apps are making the problem worse, as it's become far too easy to place a bet anytime, anywhere.
"Our Gambling Specific Outpatient Programme supports people in taking back control, whether their addiction stems from sports betting, online casinos, or other forms of gambling," Ms Kavanagh said.
