iGaming Ontario Withheld Pre-Launch Study Showing Elevated Problem Gambling Rates
iGaming Ontario suppressed a pre-launch study that found higher-than-expected problem gambling rates, citing economic interests.Summary
iGaming Ontario commissioned a study on problem gambling rates before the regulated online market opened in April 2022, but withheld the results when they proved higher than anticipated. Internal records obtained by the Toronto Star through freedom of information legislation reveal that executives questioned the data methodology, debated damage-control measures including a possible gag order on researchers, and cited potential harm to the province's economic interests to justify secrecy. The study, awarded to the Responsible Gambling Council and involving researchers Iris Balodis of McMaster University and Michael Wohl of Carleton University, was a two-year longitudinal project with its first round in February 2022. Disputes centered on the reliance on online survey panels, known to produce higher problem gambling estimates, and efforts to limit data distribution. The researchers later co-authored a piece criticizing the lack of reliable problem gambling data in Ontario. Despite over $82.7 billion wagered in the 2024-25 fiscal year and significant increases in subsequent years, neither side has disclosed the taxpayer funds spent, and iGaming Ontario maintains the study did not meet policy-informing standards.
(Source：Sccg Management)