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Online Sports Betting Boom Linked to Surge in Gambling Disorder ER Visits
Ontario researchers found emergency department visits for gambling disorders rose 154% after single-event sports betting was legalized, with nearly one-third leading to hospitalization.
- A study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that emergency department visits for gambling disorders in Ontario were 154% higher following the legalization of online single-event sports betting in 2022.
- Ontario became the first province to allow private online gambling platforms in 2022, following Canada's legalization of single-event sports betting in August 2021.
- Visits were concentrated among men aged 10-44, and researchers found that more than 70% of gambling-disorder visits involved additional mental health or substance-use issues.
- Unlike bartenders who manage alcohol consumption, online betting platforms lack automatic spending limits and often fail to protect users showing signs of addiction.
- Senior author Daniel Myran warned the findings likely reveal larger increases in gambling-related harm, noting the study serves as a warning to the United States regarding gambling proliferation.
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Total News Sources11
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution91% Center
Bias Distribution
- 91% of the sources are Center
91% Center
C 91%
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