New study says that gambling-related calls to\u00a0ConnexOntario increased by 161%\u00a0among boys and men ages 15-24 in the last five years<\/p>\n
Published Mar 02, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 3\u00a0days ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Turn on any sporting event and you will be inundated with advertising for gambling apps.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n What used to be aggressively outlawed is now legalized,\u00a0advertised\u00a0and promoted by sports organizations themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Recommended Videos<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Perhaps most\u00a0people who bet on a game today on an app are doing so at no greater level than they used to so among friends before a game they watch together, or by\u00a0participating\u00a0in a pool during the Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n But a study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, tells us that gambling-related calls to\u00a0ConnexOntario, Ontario\u2019s free mental health and addictions help line, increased by 161%\u00a0among boys and men ages 15-24 in the last five years<\/a>. Calls increased 99%\u00a0in men 25-44 (from 27 per million to 54 over the same\u00a0time period).\u00a0<\/p>\n Bruce Kidd is an Olympian, a former professor at\u00a0the\u00a0University of Toronto and\u00a0chair of the Campaign to Ban Ads for Gambling. He said, \u201cIt\u2019s in your face and the evidence worldwide is that advertising increases the volume and intensity of betting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cThe betting apps are designed,\u201d he says, \u201cto engineer addiction, to ensure that people who log in continually chase the bets and end up being addicted.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He says a survey by the Canadian Center for Substance Use and Addiction, \u201cAlso reported that increased problem gambling by younger populations.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Sports gambling promoted by broadcasters<\/p>\n I said to Kidd that when I watch the Jays,\u00a0it is not just that\u00a0the\u00a0ads are running\u00a0during the game,\u00a0but that\u00a0gambling is now a part of the actual broadcast.\u00a0<\/p>\n He responded, \u201cIt really upsets me that the broadcasters that I respect are now shilling for addiction.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Of course,\u00a0sports gambling and\u00a0the apps\u00a0are now legal. The government itself runs a\u00a0lottery\u00a0and sports organizations run 50\/50 tickets, which are a form of gambling.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Nothing the apps are doing is illegal.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advocate pushes for public health measures<\/p>\n I pointed out that most people can gamble responsibly. They are not betting the rent.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI get that,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cBut what level of clearly demonstrated harm should trigger more regulation?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He says, \u201cI would argue that a\u00a010%\u00a0level of addiction, which the national survey data is showing for all Canadians, or a 25%\u00a0level of addiction among young consumers 18 to 28, that\u2019s too high and we\u2019ve got to reduce it by taking public health measures as advocated by the World Health Association, the Canadian Medical Association, CAMH and other health bodies.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Public health measures would be funded by the government; the taxpayers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Should that be their responsibility or just as government is moving to make manufacturers responsible for the cost of recycling of materials, would it make sense to require betting apps to bear the cost of gambling addiction?\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Government has a role to play role<\/p>\n Taking the fun of a bet away from responsible people due to the minority of gamblers who are addicted and desperate seems wrong, but the damage to society and such a high percentage of young people needs debate and consideration.\u00a0<\/p>\n When there is money to be made,\u00a0the\u00a0government steps in.\u00a0<\/p>\n Outlawing alcohol proved impossible, so\u00a0the\u00a0government legalized it again and taxed\u00a0it to a massive degree.\u00a0<\/p>\n Marijuana is now legalized and taxed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gambling in casinos and sports gambling is legal.\u00a0<\/p>\n All of\u00a0the above come with damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n It is\u00a0the\u00a0government\u2019s\u00a0responsibility to mitigate the damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n With sports gambling, that has not been done.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Sharp rise in young men contacting Ontario gambling helpline: Study<\/p>\n <\/a> Drake quits sports gambling after disastrous Super Bowl bet on Patriots<\/p>\n![\"FanDuel,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/gambling-apps.jpg\")
FanDuel, DraftKings and other online gambling apps are displayed on a phone in San Francisco, Sept. 26, 2022. Photo by Jeff Chiu, File \/AP PhotoArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.7.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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