ER visits for gambling disorders doubled after expanded online gambling market

Ryan Forrest and Daniel Myran By Charlotte Lam Emergency department visits for gambling disorders doubled following the legalization of single-event sports betting and expansion of Ontario's online gambling market, according to a new study by University of Toronto researchers. The increase was observed predominantly among young men.

Canada legalized single-event sports betting in August 2021. In April 2022, Ontario became the first province to allow private companies to operate in a regulated online gambling market alongside the existing government-run platform. Ontario’s online legal gambling market currently includes 83 gaming and betting sites operated by 43 private companies, including some of the world’s largest multinational gambling corporations. In 2024, Ontarians wagered $82.7 billion CAD on these sites through 2.6 million player accounts.