New research indicates a correlation between the rise of online sports betting and an increase in emergency room visits for gambling disorders, with young men disproportionately affected. The findings from Canada, which legalized single-event sports betting in August 2021, show that gambling-related ER visits doubled after the expansion of the market.
Researchers analyzed 14 years of emergency department data in Ontario and found 757 individuals made 952 visits where a gambling disorder was cited as a primary or contributing reason. Following the legalization and expansion of the private online gambling market, these visits saw a significant spike. The study noted a 154% increase in visits among males aged 10 to 29 and a 116% increase among males aged 30 to 44, with no comparable increase observed among females.
Many of these emergency visits involved patients presenting with severe depression, suicidal thoughts, or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse issues. Nearly one-third of the gambling-related ER visits resulted in hospital admission.
"Most people experiencing gambling problems will never seek care, so the concern is that the increases in emergency department visits for gambling disorders we observed may be revealing much larger increases in gambling-related harm," said Daniel Myran, a senior author of the study and associate professor at the University of Toronto. He added that the study's findings could serve as a warning for the U.S., where online sports betting has grown considerably.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2018 decision to overturn a federal ban on sports gambling, 32 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized some form of sports betting. According to an April 2026 study, 27% of U.S. adults report having an active online sports betting account, with half of men aged 18 to 49 participating. This represents an increase from previous years, with 22% of Americans reporting active accounts in 2025 and 19% in 2024.
While many bettors cite fun, increased engagement with live games, or potential financial gains as reasons for their activity, troubling trends have emerged. A recent survey indicated that 42% of sports bettors felt they wagered more than they should have, up from 37% the previous year. Additionally, 43% reported feeling shame or guilt after losing a bet, an increase from 37% in 2025. The number of bettors seeking help also rose, with 15% reporting contacting a problem gambling helpline or seeking other assistance, up from 9% in both 2025 and 2024.
The expansion of online sports betting has been particularly notable in states like New York, which has seen mobile sports wagering become its second-largest revenue generator from the gaming industry. However, this growth has been accompanied by a rise in problem gambling concerns. In New York, calls to the state's problem gambling support hotline increased by 8.5% between 2020 and 2025.
Research in New Jersey has also highlighted the heightened risk among younger demographics. A Rutgers University study found that nearly one in five adults aged 18 to 24 in New Jersey are at high risk for problem gambling, with a third of this group gambling exclusively online. This rate is five times higher than reported in a 2017 study and exceeds that of other age groups. The study identified younger men, particularly those aged 18 to 44, as being most likely to be high-risk problem gamblers.
The study authors emphasized the concerning concentration of increased gambling-related harm among younger males, especially given the targeted marketing strategies of many online sports betting platforms. They noted that the consequences extend beyond the individual gambler, impacting families and communities.