Ontario's Online Casino Expansion Linked to Spike in Problem Gambling and Suicides

The expansion of private online casino games and sports betting in Ontario in 2022 has coincided with a sharp increase in public health crises, according to reporting by CBC News.

Research from the Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI) indicates that nearly 130,000 Ontarians now exhibit signs of problem gambling, a significant jump from approximately 43,000 people in 2018. AGRI researcher Carrie Shaw noted that while gambling is normalized across Canada, the impact is more pronounced in Ontario due to high levels of exposure and advertisement. Shaw highlighted that online platforms remove barriers to access, allowing users to gamble from mobile phones or computers at any time.

The human cost is further evidenced by data from the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario. Between 2016 and 2021, the province averaged five gambling-related suicides per year; however, that number tripled following the 2022 expansion.

Additional studies underscore the growing distress. A March 2026 study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) found a 95.5 per cent increase in gambling-related calls to the provincial help line, ConnexOntario, from men and boys over the last decade. Furthermore, a September 2026 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reported a dramatic increase in individuals with gambling disorders visiting Ontario hospital emergency departments.

Matthew Young, chief research officer for Greo Evidence Insights, stated that he warned the government two years ago about the potential for increased bankruptcies, addictions, and suicides. Young described it as "unfathomable" that markets were opened without proper public health impact studies and is calling for a portion of the billions in revenues to be dedicated to independent research into curbing gambling-related harms.