A recent study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto highlights a concerning trend in gambling behaviors among Ontario teenagers.
According to the latest findings from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS), conducted by CAMH, there has been a notable increase in gambling activities among high school students. The research indicates that one in ten students reported engaging in online sports betting at least once in the past year.
Furthermore, the survey revealed that 12% of students admitted to participating in various forms of online gambling. When considering both online and offline gambling, a striking 20% of respondents acknowledged engaging in “any type of gambling” during the same period.
Comparing this year's results to those from 2023, the percentage of students who gambled online surged from 8% to 12%, marking a significant 50% increase.
Dr. Peter Selby, the Principal Investigator at CAMH’s INTREPID Lab, expressed his concerns regarding the rapid rise in online gambling among youth. He stated, “The swift increase in online gambling among young individuals is alarming.”
Selby, who specializes in youth mental health and substance use, emphasized the need for further investigation into how minors access gambling platforms despite age restrictions. He pointed out the role of pervasive gambling advertisements and their impact on young people's attitudes and behaviors. “We must implement stronger measures to limit youth exposure during this crucial phase of brain development and to mitigate the long-term effects of these trends,” he added.
The OSDUHS, which has been conducted every two years since 1977, is Canada’s longest-running school-based survey focusing on youth. This biannual report examines various aspects of Ontario students' mental and physical health, including bullying, social media usage, video gaming, gambling, and other risky behaviors.
For the 2025 edition, CAMH researchers collected data from 11,108 students in grades 7 to 12 through an anonymous online questionnaire. The survey was administered across 1,147 classes in 246 schools and 42 school boards between December 2024 and June 2025.
While the survey has a rich history, inquiries into online gambling began in 2003, with questions about online sports betting introduced in 2017, four years prior to the legalization of single-event sports betting in Canada.
In 2022, Ontario opened its online gambling market to commercial operators, including DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet, establishing itself as one of North America’s most competitive online markets with nearly 50 operators and over 80 online casino and sports betting platforms.
Alberta has recently followed Ontario's lead, becoming the second Canadian province to implement regulated online gambling just last month.
In Ontario, during the 2024-25 fiscal year, 2.6 million active accounts placed wagers totaling over $82 billion. However, this growth has raised significant public health concerns regarding the implications of the gambling boom.
Hayley Hamilton, the lead investigator of the survey, acknowledged the alarming trends reflected in the data. As a senior scientist at CAMH and co-director of the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, she remarked, “Looking at the numbers, it’s clear there is a problem.”
She noted that the increased accessibility of online gambling has made it more available to young people than ever before.