Ontario Gambling Helpline Strained as Calls Outpace Funding

Ontario's problem gambling helpline is straining under a surge of new calls. ConnexOntario, the province's addiction support service, says demand has outpaced funding since the iGaming market expanded. Executive director Nerin Kaur says online betting has made gambling easier to access than ever before. The provincial government funds ConnexOntario entirely through the Ministry of Health. But funding increases have lagged far behind rising call volumes. Ontario opened its regulated iGaming market in April 2022. Since then, more residents have reached out for mental health and addiction support. Kaur says additional investment would help staff meet growing demand.

Ontario Gambling Helpline Calls Surge as Market Grows

ConnexOntario call volumes have grown steadily since Ontario's market opened. In 2019-20, the helpline logged 92,780 interactions. That number climbed to 155,391 interactions by 2025-26. Average call length also increased, from under eight minutes to nearly 12 minutes.

Kaur says the nature of calls has changed too. Staff now spend more time on supportive listening and education. Some callers are simply questioning their gambling habits, while others have already faced serious financial and emotional harm. The province currently has 47 licensed iGaming operators. Those operators run 81 gambling websites across the market. In May 2026, Ontario counted 1.257 million active player accounts. That's up sharply from 277,000 accounts in the market's first month.

ConnexOntario Funding Falls Short of Rising Demand

Despite rising demand, ConnexOntario's funding has grown only modestly. The organization received a five percent funding increase in 2023-24. It received a four percent bump in 2025-26. That brought total funding to $4.18 million. Kaur says the increase falls short of covering actual demand. She says additional investment would support timely access to care. The organization also offers private consultations and connects callers to more than 5,320 support services across Ontario. Kaur adds that people don't need to be in crisis to reach out. Many contact the helpline simply to talk through early concerns.

Study Finds Young Men Fuel Rise in Gambling Harm

Data shows young men are driving much of the increase. ConnexOntario reports the largest inquiry growth among males aged 15 to 24. A separate peer-reviewed study supports this pattern. Published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, it tracked helpline contacts from 2012 through 2025.

Researchers found that gambling-related contacts rose sharply after market liberalization in 2022. The rise was most pronounced among adolescent boys and young men. Callers often describe chasing losses or hiding gambling from family. Some say they initially believed gambling would help them make money.

Kaur says many people don't recognize when gambling shifts from entertainment to harm.

The study's authors say the trend points to a need for stronger prevention and treatment access that goes beyond BetGuard, Ontario's self-exclusion program.