Online gambling has nearly tripled among Montrealers since 2018, study says

Fear Montrealers are gambling than they were seven, eight years ago. That's the good news. But online gambling is moving in the complete opposite direction, meaning it nearly tripled since 2018. And public health researchers say that shift comes with risks. The Montreal Regional Public Health Department surveyed more than 4,000 adults. It found overall gambling participation dropped from 55% in 2018 to 39% last year. But online gambling rose from just over 4% to 13%. Which is... A major, significant change, like phenomenon don't change so fast in a short period of time, in such a short period of time. Online gambling is becoming much more popular and this becomes your new casino. So it is. Not unusual to see higher prevalence rates of young people who are experiencing problems as well. The study also found the risk is not the same across all types of gambling. Among people who participate, problem gambling rates are highest for video lottery terminals and online gambling at nearly 14 and 11 percent, respectively. And researchers are pointing to Ontario as a warning to what can happen when online gambling expands rapidly. A University of Toronto study published this fall found emergency room visits for gambling disorders doubled following the expansion of Ontario's online market. The increase was concentrated among younger men. And young men have grown up playing sports more and they engaged in sports with their Fathers, and so they think they know everything about sport. In Montreal, nearly three quarters of people surveyed say online gambling advertising should be banned. The advertisement pushes people. Researchers say the goal is to address those risks before they grow through stronger oversight of the industry, limits on advertising, and measures to protect people most at risk.