ER Visits for Gambling Rise in Ontario Since Expansion of Online Betting: Study
Researchers logged 952 gambling-related emergency visits over 14 years, with men and boys making up 72% of cases.
- A new study published Wednesday in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine links Ontario's online gambling expansion to a spike in emergency department visits for gambling disorders, with the largest increases among males aged 10 to 29.
- In April 2022, Ontario permitted private companies to operate online gambling sites, rapidly expanding the market to over 80 websites that generated $82.7 billion in wagers during 2024-25.
- Analysis by ICES of 952 emergency department visits showed a 99 per cent overall increase compared to pre-liberalization levels, with males aged 10 to 29 experiencing a 154 per cent surge in admissions.
- Patients presenting to emergency departments often had suicide risk and substance use alongside gambling addiction, prompting Dr. Daniel Myran, University of Toronto associate professor, to warn of a "public-health crisis."
- Experts urge policymakers in other provinces like Alberta to monitor Ontario's data as they consider gambling liberalization, describing the province as a "natural experiment" for evaluating public-health effects.
23 Articles
23 Articles
The Toronto Star
ER visits for gambling rise in Ontario since expansion of online betting: study
TORONTO - A new study suggests emergency department visits for gambling disorders have doubled in Ontario since the expansion of online gambling and legalization of single-event sports betting a few
More Ontarians with gambling disorders are showing up in emergency departments, study finds
Visits to the emergency department for gambling disorders have doubled since Ontario expanded its online gambling market and Ottawa legalized single-event sports betting in the country, with a newly published study finding younger males are most at risk.
More people are seeking emergency care for gambling, a new study says — and it's mostly men and boys
New research published Wednesday in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found a nearly 100 per cent increase in emergency department visits, in just the past few years, following the rapid growth of privatized online gambling and legalization of betting on single sports events.
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