Gambling used to be something you had to leave the house for. A trip to the casino. A lottery ticket at the corner store. A friendly bet on the big game. But today, gambling is in your pocket. It is on your phone. It is in your social media feed. And it is reaching young men and boys at an alarming rate.
This is not just a matter of money lost. It is a mental health crisis hiding in plain sight.
This post explores the rise in gambling addiction in Canada, the unique toll it takes on men and boys, and what we can do about it.
The Rise in Gambling and Gambling-Related Harm
The numbers are striking. According to a new study published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers in Ontario found a nearly 100% increase in emergency department visits related to gambling disorders in just the past few years. This followed the rapid growth of privatized online gambling and the legalization of single-event sports betting. The study, which logged 757 individuals who made 952 emergency department visits over a 14-year period, found a 31.3% increase from before the liberalization of online gambling.
In Ontario alone, there are now more than 80 gaming and betting sites operated by over 40 private companies.
But emergency department visits are just the tip of the iceberg. Research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found a 95.5% increase in men and boys making gambling-related calls to ConnexOntario—the province's 24-hour mental health and addictions helpline—between the 2015 launch of PlayOLG and September 2025. Among males aged 15 to 24, the increase was a staggering 317%.
A report from Greo Evidence Insights, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), and Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) found that nearly one in four young adults aged 18 to 29 who gambled online in the past year experienced high levels of gambling-related harms, including financial, emotional, psychological, and relationship harms.
The report also found that people who gamble online are about 10 times more likely to exceed lower-risk gambling limits and over 45 times more likely to meet the criteria for problem gambling compared to people who only play the lottery.
Why Men and Boys Are Disproportionally Affected
Men and boys bear the brunt of this crisis. According to the CBC study, males comprise 72% of total hospital visits related to gambling disorders. Hospital visits increased 154% among males aged 10 to 29 and 116% for men aged 30 to 44, compared to the years before gambling laws were liberalized. There was no notable increase among females.
Globally, men are about 3.4 times more likely than women to gamble at a problem level. Adults under 35 are roughly 1.5 times more likely than middle-aged adults to have a gambling problem. Lay those findings on top of each other, and they point to a young man with a sportsbook app on his phone.
Why is this happening?
There are several reasons. Gambling marketing is everywhere—on television, on social media, and in sports broadcasts. Much of it targets men and boys. The format matters too: gambling through a phone app is tied to roughly three times the odds of problem-gambling symptoms compared with other ways of betting. Live, in-play betting during a game is linked to higher problem-gambling severity.
And then there is the mental health connection. Men are often socialized to suppress emotions, avoid seeking help, and handle problems alone. Gambling can become a way to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, or loneliness—a temporary escape that quickly becomes a trap.
As Dr. Daniel Myran, a physician and researcher who co-authored the CBC study, put it: "These are the very severe moments when people are showing up in crisis and gambling has either been the cause of that, mixed with other substance use, or it's been a contributing factor".
The Mental Health Toll of Gambling
Gambling is not just a financial problem. It is a mental health problem. And the two are deeply intertwined.
According to Mental Health Research Canada's report, High Stakes: A Mental Health Perspective on Gambling in Canada, people with problem gambling were 4 times more likely to indicate symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to those who gamble but are not at risk. They were also 4 times more likely to have thought about suicide and 7 times more likely to have planned a suicide in the last 12 months.
The report found that 73.1% of adult Canadians reported participating in some form of gambling. According to the Problem Gambling Severity Index, 9.1% were classified as people with problem gambling, concentrated among young men and those who participate in online gambling.
The AddictionHelp.com statistics echo this: about 31% of people with gambling disorder have had suicidal thoughts, and about 16% have attempted suicide. About 82% of people with gambling disorder have at least one other mental health disorder.
The financial harm compounds the psychological harm. People with gambling problems may lose their savings, their jobs, their relationships, and their sense of identity. The shame and isolation that follow can deepen depression and anxiety, creating a vicious cycle.
As one recovering gambling addict, Teddy Wojtowicz, told CBC News: "When you're gambling and you see that you keep losing and you know that you're losing, there's some part of you saying, 'Well, the next time I'm gonna win'".
Wojtowicz lost his career, his savings, and his freedom after writing $22,000 in cheques to himself from his workplace. He sought help after beginning to think about suicide. He is now working in peer support to help others.
Youth and Problem Gambling: A Growing Concern
The crisis is not limited to adults. Young people aged 10 to 24 have higher rates of problem gambling than adults, and the forms of gambling they are engaging in are changing.
According to CAMH's knowledge translation resource on youth and problem gambling, one-third (32%) of Ontario students reported participating in one or more gambling activities in 2019. About 4% of secondary school students reported symptoms of low- to moderately-severe gambling problems, and 2% reported symptoms of a high-severity gambling problem.
The Canadian Youth Gambling Survey indicated that 41.6% of adolescents in their sample had gambled in the past three months. A higher proportion of youth who gambled online scored "high" or "low-to-moderate" in problem gambling severity than those who engaged in land-based gambling.
New forms of gambling are emerging:
Loot boxes – mystery video game "grab bags" that can be purchased with real money, involving risk and chance
Social casino games – free-to-play gambling-themed games that can lead to gambling for money
Skins betting – using virtual in-game items as currency to place bets on e-sports or other games
E-sports betting – betting on organized video game competitions
These activities blur the line between gaming and gambling, making gambling more appealing and accessible to young people.
Dr. Shawn Kelly, an Ottawa pediatrician who specializes in adolescent addiction medicine, told CBC News that while he has not seen an increase in suicidal thoughts related to gambling problems among the adolescents he has dealt with, "we also see that there are worsening of anxiety disorder, worsening of school attendance problems there, worsening of depressive symptoms”.
What Needs to Change
The research is clear: gambling is a public health issue, not just an individual problem. And it requires a public health response.
The CCSA and its partners are calling for a pan-Canadian strategy to address gambling-related harm. This strategy should:
Harmonize gambling regulations across Canada
Mitigate conflicts of interest within the gambling ecosystem
Secure stable funding for prevention, treatment, and research
Establish systems to monitor and assess gambling-related harms and their costs
Enhance awareness of harms among the public and frontline service providers
Consider the role provincial and territorial Crown corporations can have in reducing harm
How to Get Help
If you or someone you love is struggling with gambling, you are not alone. Help is available.
Provincial and territorial mental health and addictions helplines:
ConnexOntario (Ontario): 1-866-531-2600
Kids Help Phone (Canada-wide): 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868
988 Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988 (24/7)
Canada's National Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-800-522-4700 (available 24/7 in some provinces; check your local resources)
Treatment options:
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) has the strongest evidence for treating gambling disorder
Peer support groups
Family-based interventions for youth
Treatment centres and community mental health services
What we can do as a community:
Talk openly about gambling and its risks
Model healthy coping strategies for stress, anxiety, and loneliness
Watch for signs of gambling problems in the young men and boys in our lives
Advocate for stricter regulations on gambling advertising
A Final Thought
The rise in gambling in Canada is not just a financial crisis. It is a mental health crisis. And it is hitting young men and boys hardest.
But there is hope. Gambling disorder is treatable. Recovery is possible. And the first step is reaching out. If you are struggling, please know: you are not alone. Your pain is real. And you deserve support—not shame, not silence, but care that sees the whole person.
Whatever it is, we’re here for you.
Life is uncertain. Jobs are stressful. Parenting is hard. Relationships take work. Families can be dysfunctional. And sometimes, love hurts. When you’re confronted by feelings, events, or issues that are making your life challenging, it’s okay to ask for some help.
REFERENCE SOURCES:
CBC News More people are seeking emergency care for gambling, a new study says- and it’s mostly men and boys
CP24 New study finds sharp rise in young men contacting Ontario gambling helpline
AddictionHelp.com Gambling Addiction Statistics
Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Abuse Almost 1 in 4 young people who gamble online report experiencing high levels of gambling-related harm: new report
Mental Health Research Canada High Stakes: A Mental Health Perspective on Gambling in Canada
CAMH Youth and Problem Gambling
