Gambling Is Sending More People to the ER
A study in Ontario found that emergency department visits for gambling disorders doubled after the legalization of single-event sports betting.Summary
A recent study from Ontario published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that after the province legalized betting on single sports events in 2022, emergency department visits for gambling disorders doubled. Most patients were men aged 10-44, and nearly a third were hospitalized. The study estimated that emergency visits were 154% higher than they would have been without the law change. Many patients presented with major depression and suicidality. A separate study by some of the same researchers found that calls to Ontario's problem gambling helpline were 200% higher than expected. The study warns the U.S., where sports gambling has proliferated since 2018. Therapists in the U.S. have seen a more than twofold increase in young adult clients with gambling disorders since 2024. They note that prediction markets, which allow 18-year-olds to bet, are being mentioned 200% more often. Both researchers highlight that gambling is under-regulated, with few safeguards to protect people from addiction.
(Source：TIME)