ER visits for gambling disorders doubled after expanded online gambling market

Emergency department visits for gambling disorders in Ontario rose 154% among males aged 10-29 and 116% among males aged 30-44 after the 2021 legalization of single-event sports betting and the 2022 expansion of private online gambling operators. The study recorded 952 visits by 757 individuals, with 70% involving co-occurring mental health or substance-use issues and nearly one-third resulting in hospital admission. The increase was confined to younger males, with no change observed in females.