Ontario’s online gambling market has grown rapidly since opening to private operators in 2022, but new research is putting more attention on the potential harms that have come alongside that growth. A new study found that emergency visits involving gambling disorders nearly doubled following Ontario’s online market expansion, with the biggest increase among younger men.
Researchers looked at emergency visits in Ontario over a 14-year period and identified 952 gambling-related visits involving 757 people. Nearly three-quarters of those patients were male.
The timing of the increase stood out. Canada legalized single-event sports betting in August 2021, while Ontario opened its regulated online gambling market to private operators in April 2022. After those changes, gambling-related ER visits rose to nearly twice the level researchers would have expected based on previous trends.
The increase was especially noticeable among younger men. By the end of the study period, the number of visits among males aged 10 to 29 was 154% higher than expected, while visits among males aged 30 to 44 were 116% higher. Researchers did not find a similar increase among females.
The study does not prove that the expansion of online gambling directly caused the rise in emergency room visits. However, researchers said the increase occurred alongside the rapid growth and promotion of online betting, which is heavily marketed toward younger men.
Recent concerns around underage gambling have also raised questions about whether age-verification systems are doing enough to prevent minors from accessing gambling platforms.
As gambling becomes easier to access online, regulators have to make sure safeguards keep up with the technology.
Ontario requires regulated operators to verify player ages and offer responsible gaming tools. However, the new ER data suggests there is still more work to do when it comes to identifying risky behavior and preventing gambling problems from becoming more serious.
Researchers behind the study pointed toward measures such as more restrictive gambling marketing rules and improved access to treatment for people experiencing gambling-related harm.
Other provinces are moving toward more competitive online gambling models, with Alberta having launched in July 2026. This means that the example in Ontario could be used as a reference point for how quickly a market can grow and what responsible gaming issues may emerge along the way.
Ontario has built one of North America’s largest regulated online gambling markets in only a few years. That growth has created more legal betting options for consumers, but the latest health data shows why responsible gaming has to continue to be prioritized.
The rise in ER cases, particularly among younger men, gives regulators another reason to closely monitor how the market is affecting players.
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