ER visits for gambling disorders doubled after expanded online gambling market

Researchers at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine found that emergency room visits for gambling disorders nearly doubled in the year following the expansion of the online gambling market in Ontario, Canada. The study analyzed data from 2012 to 2019 and found that the number of patients with gambling disorders increased from 3.3 per 100,000 people to 6.3 per 100,000 people. The study also found that the number of patients with other mental health conditions, such as substance abuse and depression, also increased during this time period. The researchers suggest that the expansion of the online gambling market may have contributed to the increase in gambling disorders and other mental health conditions.