University of Toronto and ICES Analysis Tracks Rise in Gambling Disorder Emergency Visits After Ontario Opens Private Online Market

Researchers from the University of Toronto and ICES examined fourteen years of hospital records and identified a clear increase in emergency department visits related to gambling disorders once Ontario introduced its private online gambling market, and the data showed these visits climbed 154 percent above expected levels for males aged ten to twenty-nine while rising 116 percent above expected levels for men aged thirty to forty-four, whereas no comparable shift appeared among females.

The study drew on extensive administrative health data collected across Ontario facilities, allowing the team to compare actual visit rates against projected trends that accounted for pre-existing patterns and seasonal variations, and this approach isolated the period after the private operator model launched as the point where observed numbers diverged sharply from forecasts.

Study Design and Data Sources

Analysts compiled records spanning more than a decade before the market change and several years afterward, then applied statistical modeling to estimate what visit volumes would have been without the new regulatory framework, and the resulting comparison revealed sustained elevations concentrated in specific male age groups that persisted across multiple follow-up intervals.

Those who reviewed the hospital coding noted that cases were identified through standardized diagnostic categories for gambling disorder, which helped maintain consistency across facilities and reduced the chance that unrelated conditions influenced the counts, while the fourteen-year window provided enough baseline stability to detect deviations that shorter studies might have missed.

Demographic Patterns in the Results

Males in the ten-to-twenty-nine bracket accounted for the largest relative increase, reaching 154 percent above the modeled expectation, and men aged thirty to forty-four followed with a 116 percent rise, yet female visit rates remained aligned with the projections throughout the same post-launch period, producing a distinct gender split in the observed trends.

Researchers examined age-band breakdowns further and found that the elevations began shortly after private online platforms became widely available, continued through subsequent quarters, and did not revert to prior levels within the measured timeframe, which allowed the team to document both the magnitude and the persistence of the change.

Context for Jurisdictions Considering Similar Models

The authors present the Ontario findings as information that other provinces evaluating private online operator systems may wish to review, and they specifically reference Alberta as one jurisdiction currently weighing comparable regulatory steps where these patterns could inform planning discussions.

Because the study relied solely on existing hospital records rather than new surveys, the authors emphasize that the results reflect only those individuals who sought emergency care, leaving broader population prevalence outside the scope of the reported figures, and they note that future work could explore additional data layers to build a fuller picture.

Timing and Measurement Considerations

The analysis aligned visit spikes with the operational start of the private market, using the same modeling framework to test alternative explanations such as broader economic shifts or changes in overall healthcare utilization, and the persistence of the gender-specific elevations after those factors were controlled strengthened the association with the timing of the regulatory change.

Observers note that the fourteen-year span captured multiple economic cycles and policy adjustments, which helped isolate the period immediately following the introduction of private operators as the interval where the divergence became statistically detectable, and the absence of parallel movement among females provided an internal comparison that reinforced the selectivity of the observed increase.

Conclusion

The University of Toronto and ICES examination of hospital records supplies concrete figures on emergency department activity tied to gambling disorders in the years after Ontario adopted its private online gambling framework, and the reported elevations of 154 percent and 116 percent among the two male cohorts, alongside the lack of similar movement for females, stand as documented outcomes that other regions may reference when assessing regulatory options.