Problem gambling is most common in young males aged between 25 and 34, new data has shown.

According to the findings, 41% of people gamble at least once a month and the most common form of gambling is the purchase of lottery tickets or scratch cards.

The data has been published by the Department of Health and is based on the findings of a survey of over 7,000 people carried out in 2014 and 2015. The initial results of the next gambling survey, which will look at the period 2018 and 2019, are expected within the next 12 months.

For the purpose of the survey, gambling included buying lottery tickets and scratch cards, gambling in a bookmakers, gambling online or by telephone, placing a bet at a dog or horse race meeting, playing a slot machine, playing a card game for money and bingo.

The findings show that almost 65% of people had gambled in the last year, while 41% gambled on a monthly basis or more.

Those aged 55-64 were most likely to have gambled within the last year, followed by those aged between 35 and 44.

Almost 10% of 15-17 year olds had bought a lottery ticket or scratch card in the last year, while a similar number had placed a bet at a horse or dog race meeting.

Gambling online or by telephone was most prevalent in young males, with 27% of those aged between 18 and 34 gambling in this way.

The data also showed that young males aged 15-34 were most likely to spend more than €250 placing bets on sporting events in a bookmaker's shop or online/by telephone.

Overall, while the prevalence of problem gambling in the general population was low (0.8%), it was most common in young males, with almost 3% of those aged 25-34, and almost 2% of those aged 18-24, reporting issues.

"The statistics show that many people in Ireland engage in various forms of gambling without any issue arising. For the small percentage of people for whom gambling is a problem, we need measures to reduce problem gambling and its impact on individuals and their families. For this, the collection of data is very important," commented the Minster of State for Health Promotion and the National Drugs Strategy, Catherine Byrne.

Meanwhile, according to the Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton, the modernisation of gambling legislation and the better regulation of the gambling industry ‘is a priority for Government'.

"This is especially important for the small percentage of people for whom gambling can negatively affect significant areas of their lives including their mental and physical health, employment, finances and relationships with others. This survey, and the continued future gathering of this data, will greatly aid our understanding of the issue and help us plan our interventions accordingly," he said.

The data on gambling prevalence can be viewed here