Sharp rise in young men contacting Ontario gambling helpline.

[Josefjix]

In this life, everything keeps increasing everyday no matter what, nothing reduces as time goes on, I mean, the negative side of things keeps evolving while the positive side keeps depleting.

Yes of course, the gamblers will certainly have to create more account online and gamble from the convenient at home, at office and anywhere they are. You don't expect sudden decrease because of gambling going to digital than physical shop, you can't find that anywhere even in the local countries around the globe.

There should be more cases of addiction even up to this moment and more to come in 2027 and above. The numbers will shock everyone expect me.

[passwordnow]

The fact that there's a helpline shows the good governance in there. But yes, that's the problem if the calls are rising and many young men are being hooked to gambling due to easy access. I think that they'll start to notice that there's a need for sharper and more strict rules following this incident. It's a serious matter that they need to address solution for it because if they don't, that 300% increase will be likely to double and even more. So if they don't find more solutions of giving more restriction to this problem, the skyrocketing is to be expected for the upcoming years to come.

[Kelvinid]

Since the pandemic, most businesses have adopted online transactions. While it offers convenience to people, it becomes a major change. Even without seeing the chart, we can already feel a massive transformation.

Even though we see its huge contribution to the economy, it also raises concerns, since kids are exposed and some are already involved. And we can't just ignore the possibility that this will cause trouble in the future. Seeing the current inclining situation of online gambling, I'd say it's important to have stricter regulations, as this helps to prevent addiction, especially among young people.

[Coyster]

It is unfortunate to see those numbers and i really hope that people struggling with gambling related problem actually overcome it and enjoy their lives the way they ought to. It is what it is though, a lot of people are struggling with different kinds of addiction, smoking, drinking, porn, you name it. The important thing is to seek help as soon as you discover it and talk to family and friends. This though is not a problem with the gambling industry as some people may try to make it out.

[terrific]

What do you guys think about this? The article talks about researchers finding out that the rate of young men contacting Ontario's mental helpline for gambling related issues has increased by more than 300% from 2012 to 2025.

That is alarming and the Canadian government needs to address this issue to their agency that's assigned to deal with their people's welfare.
The mental health that these men experiencing shouldn't be ignored because emotionally and mentally, this is too bad.
Sharp rise of these helps shows on how severe gambling is in their country. Soon, they might change licenses of operations and will ask for most of them that are being used by these young folks.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

The fact that there's a helpline shows the good governance in there. But yes, that's the problem if the calls are rising and many young men are being hooked to gambling due to easy access. I think that they'll start to notice that there's a need for sharper and more strict rules following this incident. It's a serious matter that they need to address solution for it because if they don't, that 300% increase will be likely to double and even more. So if they don't find more solutions of giving more restriction to this problem, the skyrocketing is to be expected for the upcoming years to come.

The point is what you said at the beginning of your comment, the government over there is coordinated well enough to put measured in place to monitor things as common and less important as this, it shows a government that really care for her own people and their welfare.

Now think about this, if they hadn't put this measure in place through which gamblers having issues can call for help, how would they have known that the rate of young people getting into gambling has increased in the country?
Now, imagine a country where such measures are not in place, no wonder from time to time, someone in my country commits suicide due to gambling issues..
What the Ontario government has done around monitoring gambling in their nation is some thing I think other nations should emulate especially nations with heavy presence to gambling.

[coinlary]

Bills and the standard of living keep increasing. Young men are looking for easy paths to become rich and one of those paths they believe could be easy is gambling.

All you have to do is take risks and hope you hit the jackpot they say without considering the other side of taking such risks. No plans just continuous gambling fueled by greediness.
Not all of these situations attended to on those calls are caused by gambling addiction. Some are just the effect of what I highlighted above but most are usually addiction, both work hand in hand though.

[passwordnow]

The fact that there's a helpline shows the good governance in there. But yes, that's the problem if the calls are rising and many young men are being hooked to gambling due to easy access. I think that they'll start to notice that there's a need for sharper and more strict rules following this incident. It's a serious matter that they need to address solution for it because if they don't, that 300% increase will be likely to double and even more. So if they don't find more solutions of giving more restriction to this problem, the skyrocketing is to be expected for the upcoming years to come.

The point is what you said at the beginning of your comment, the government over there is coordinated well enough to put measured in place to monitor things as common and less important as this, it shows a government that really care for her own people and their welfare.

Now think about this, if they hadn't put this measure in place through which gamblers having issues can call for help, how would they have known that the rate of young people getting into gambling has increased in the country?
Now, imagine a country where such measures are not in place, no wonder from time to time, someone in my country commits suicide due to gambling issues..
What the Ontario government has done around monitoring gambling in their nation is some thing I think other nations should emulate especially nations with heavy presence to gambling.

We've seen a lot of bad incidents of addicted gamblers, young and old and did the impossible and that's to take their lives. This kind of helpline is helping that to avoid more incidents do that. A call away for help is good for these gamblers that can no longer control themselves. So, this shows that the funding for this feature of their city is very helpful and I think that other cities should also follow this suit if they don't have it yet.

[cryptoaddictchie]

If the rates of yoing males increasing means those kids arent guided well on their homes or probably their parents arent aware of what them being involved in gambling. Yes gambling is as we know are very addictive and hard to control. For kids exposed this early means a lot in their environment. The responsible parents usually should noticed if theres some sort of changes im their kids behaviour at home or some problems they are experiencing.

At least they are being catered atm and this will help them ease their mental health until they can go back to being normal teenagers.

[Zlantann]

It is unfortunate to see those numbers and i really hope that people struggling with gambling related problem actually overcome it and enjoy their lives the way they ought to. It is what it is though, a lot of people are struggling with different kinds of addiction, smoking, drinking, porn, you name it. The important thing is to seek help as soon as you discover it and talk to family and friends. This though is not a problem with the gambling industry as some people may try to make it out.

At this time when many countries are going through serious economic problems, citizens will be seeking avenues to make extra money. So beside the convenience of accessing online gambling, poor economic conditions are also contributing to the increase in the rate of gambling addiction among youths.

The fear of criticism and shame is forcing these people with abnormal gambling behaviour to keep their struggles secret. They prefer ro suffer in silence than to tell family and friends about their problems. I also hope these young people open up so that they can get the necessary help to put their lives back on track.

[Somegory]

It's expected or it should be expected, things are getting worse every year in the world, things are getting costly, house rents and others, people will surely keep trying to find a way to beat the matrix, and as risky as gambling can be it's still a option for many out there.

I might get lucky, says people who don't have a much of a choice, until they get too much attached to the system and turning back gets even harder and harder, the strong ones are those looking for help by calling the helpline.

I believe the numbers is higher than that because there are some addicted gamblers that don't want to get help, they are feeling ashamed or they just don't know that they are already addicted, and this is the most insane part of gambling addiction, been addicted without knowing.

[Free Market Capitalist]

At this time when many countries are going through serious economic problems, citizens will be seeking avenues to make extra money. So beside the convenience of accessing online gambling, poor economic conditions are also contributing to the increase in the rate of gambling addiction among youths.

Well, that's the problem. Or rather the worsening of the problem. Having money problems and trying to solve them by gambling is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. What usually happens is that you lose the little money you have—or even end up in debt—lose everything, and end up in a much worse situation. The problem, as you say, is also availability and ease of access. If you're having financial problems, it's easy and convenient to try to “solve” them from home by gambling.

[maydna]

There should be a serious handling from authority or government to investigate the case and it is not easy to find the pattern why the percentage increases so high. But it seems the policy needs to be check further as prior to the policy changes, the rates were stable, it said. The percentage increases after the policy changes so something wrong already happened that needs to investigated. Although online gambling easier to access, people should know the risks and the consequences so they can treating gambling as an entertainment.

[Oluwa-btc]

Many people are so loosed and casual about gambling and the concerning part is that someone can be slowly getting addicted without even realizing it.Mind you,not everyone who gambles is addicted,some people genuinely needs guidance, awareness and accountability support before things spiral out of control.Which is why gambling helplines exists for early support.

[nimogsm]

Since the pandemic, most businesses have adopted online transactions. While it offers convenience to people, it becomes a major change. Even without seeing the chart, we can already feel a massive transformation.

Even though we see its huge contribution to the economy, it also raises concerns, since kids are exposed and some are already involved. And we can't just ignore the possibility that this will cause trouble in the future. Seeing the current inclining situation of online gambling, I'd say it's important to have stricter regulations, as this helps to prevent addiction, especially among young people.

Overall, it's a natural progression: more gaming services equals more problems. But it's also important to note that people actually seek help and talk about their problems that's also quite significant. I think 10 years ago, it was somewhat unacceptable to talk about this in society, but today it's progress. Of course, the question of the quality of the assistance provided and how relevant it is also arises. I'd also like to see statistics on resolved cases.

[robelneo]

I think this is a clear indication that, as online gambling becomes more mainstream and easier to access, more people will experience gambling problems.

It already happened, and the problem will continue to persist. It is now that the concern is great because the numbers are growing and continue to grow. Some countries fix the issue by totally banning it, and some countries do it by being restrictive. Whatever action a country implement they should try to reduce the numbers and continue to monitor because it will cause a serious problem if more young men indulge in gambling.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure applies in this scenario.

[Fortify]

What do you guys think about this? The article talks about researchers finding out that the rate of young men contacting Ontario's mental helpline for gambling related issues has increased by more than 300% from 2012 to 2025. The article also said that they noticed an increase when the government launched PlayOLG in 2015 and when they expanded the private online gambling in April 2022. I think this is a clear indication that, as online gambling becomes more mainstream and easier to access, more people will experience gambling problems.

Here's a snippet from the article. If you want to read the full information, you can click the link I shared.

The rate of young men contacting Ontario's mental health helpline for gambling-related problems has increased by more than 300 per cent after the province allowed private online gambling, a new study suggests.

The researchers behind the study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday say the findings represent a need for stronger harm-reduction measures and more access to treatment.

The study analyzed the number of contacts to ConnexOntario, the province's free 24-hour mental health and addictions helpline, for gambling-related concerns from January 2012 to September 2025.

It noted an increase after January 2015, when the government launched the gambling platform PlayOLG, as well as after the province expanded private online gambling in April 2022.

Over the 13-year period researchers looked at, ConnexOntario was contacted more than 745,700 times, the study said, and about 37,000 of those contacts were gambling-related.

The study found that among boys and men aged 15 to 24, the mean monthly rate of gambling-related outreach per million people rose by 317 per cent from the time before Ontario's launch of PlayOLG to the period after the privatization of online gambling.

The rate increased about 108 per cent over the same time frame for men aged 25 to 44, the study further found. Prior to the policy changes, the rates were stable, it said.

That's such a broad and arbitrary time frame to measure a 300% increase against with so many variables playing into it. It'd be better to see a chart of year by year fluctuations or a trend upwards, or was there a few particular years where it really started to grow faster. General awareness campaigns, population increases, wider availability of gambling platforms on different devices, law changes and so many other factors feed into this. It's good that seeking help is destigmatized and there are appropriate free channels for people that need it. 300% also sounds like a lot, but statistics can be manipulated. There were only 37k calls related to gambling during that time, which is roughly 2.9k a year - or 7 calls a day. So it's gone from around 2 gambling problem related calls a day.. to 7?

[Lida93]

Should we be surprised by this type of reports with how easily accessible the internet is to the young people  which they can just with a button press access any online gambling platforms with little or no relative restrictions. And with how some of the online casinos are not requesting KYC immediately on registration it gives this young guys easily use of gambling and they get addicted as they go without knowing that they have to be responsible for their actions.

The question we should be asking ourselves is whether they are old enough to take accountability for their actions. Dont be surprised, they started gambling at a very young age, which pushed them into addiction before 30. Imagine what their mental state will be when they get to 30 if they do not find help. However, their decisions up to now have kept them in this condition. One thing I've come to realise is that it is very difficult to recover from gambling addiction. It will take a very long time.

...and by responsibilities you mean taking care of their own bills and taking account to their life's choices?! I faintly doubt because from what I have discovered about this generation a lot of young men are so irresponsible for themself even at 30. So just imagine how badly they had with many choices and things they got into probably through peers and by ignorance. Living your young age fighting addictions is one of the cruel thing any young man would want to do to himself. And they may not be able to forgive themself if they sit down to ponder it.