Study Sees Surge in Young Men Seeking Help for Gambling in Ontario

According to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the number of young men reaching out to Ontario’s mental health helpline for gambling-related issues has surged by over 300% since the province legalized private online gambling.

More Men Are Seeking Help

The study reported that for boys and men aged 15 to 24, the average monthly rate of gambling-related outreach per million people climbed by 317% from the period before Ontario introduced PlayOLG to the period following the privatization of online gambling. 

Researchers reviewed contacts made to ConnexOntario, the province’s free, 24-hour mental health and addictions helpline, for gambling-related concerns. The period of the study reviewed calls between January 2012 and September 2025. Over the 13 years examined, ConnexOntario received more than 745,700 contacts in total, roughly 37,000 of which were related to gambling, according to the study.

In 2015, there was an uptick in calls when the government launched the PlayOLG platform. Private online gambling expanded in 2022, which also saw an increase in calls. The study found that from the start of online gambling privatization in April 2022 to August of last year, the number of active player accounts per 100,000 people aged 15 and older rose from about 2,160 to more than 7,300, which is an increase of 239%.

It should be noted that Ontario’s iGaming sector has also seen growth in the past months. Throughout 2025, the online casino sector maintained double-digit growth in handle, underscoring the market’s robustness. In December alone, operators handled CAD 9.5 billion ($7 billion) in wagers, which worked in favor of Ontario, marking a 26% growth year-on-year in 2025.

Professionals Warn About the Risks

While increased awareness of the hotline may play a role, the surge cannot be explained solely by more people seeking help for existing issues, said Daniel Myran, a research chair at North York General Hospital and co-author of the study. Myran pointed to strong evidence showing that most people with gambling disorders do not seek treatment, and when they do, they often turn to helplines such as ConnexOntario. 

He suggested that the rise in helpline contacts could represent only a small fraction of a much broader increase in harmful gambling behaviour. He also noted a significant rise in gambling advertising following the province’s move to privatize betting. The sharp increase in contacts from young men, he explained, aligns with the demographic most heavily targeted by gambling advertisements and most likely to place sports bets.

According to Myran, policymakers need to carefully consider who these advertisements are reaching and the messages they convey, adding that restrictions should be introduced because many of the ads appear in spaces widely viewed by youth.