Shame plays a big part in people keeping their gambling addiction a secret.
A Cork based addiction counsellor says he is unsurprised by an ESRI report which found that one in 10 adults are problem gamblers in Ireland.
The report found that people with a gambling addiction on average spend around 1,000 euro a month feeding their habit.
Mick Devine of the Tabor Group says more regulation is needed around the ease of access to gambling in order to protect vulnerable people.
Speaking to RedFM News Mick Devine says the gamblers are normally in deep financial crisis by the time they reach out for help:
"Usually, it has reached crisis proportions before somebody is lifting the phone to talk to Tabor Group about getting help with a gambled problem. It usually has reached big proportions, as far as financial problems or damage to relationships is concerned. Shame will stop people from reaching out for help".
