A new study has found over 400,000 people in Ireland show some evidence of a gambling problem.
The report from the ESRI also found that problem gamblers spend more than 1 thousand euro a month feeding their addiction.
The study called, "Measures of problem gambling, gambling behaviours and perceptions of gambling in Ireland", was carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute’s Behavioural Research Unit.
It was commissioned to support the establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.
The review records that 3.3 per cent of the adult population in Ireland, or 130 thousand people, are problem gamblers.
That's a figure that's ten times higher than previous estimates.
Furthermore, the research finds that an additional 7.1% or 279,000 people, show moderate evidence of problem gambling and a further 590,000 people, who report at least some problematic experiences or behaviours in relation to gambling.
The report says, on average, problem gamblers spend more than 1 thousand euro per month on gambling, accounting for 28 per cent of total spending.
The survey has been welcomed by the Minister of State with responsibility for Law Reform, James Browne who says the study "underscores the necessity to recognise and meaningfully confront problem gambling and the harm it causes."
