Ontario launches online gambling service, experts are on the fence

Apr 14, 2022 | News

The Ontario government launched its online gambling and betting service — iGaming Ontario — on Apr. 4, but experts have raised concerns over its availability to problem gamblers.

Diana Gabriel, a certified problem gambling counsellor at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor, says the ease of access is a real issue.

“A problem gambler will continue gambling until the money runs out,” Gabriel said. “With online gambling, people have access to gambling 24 hours a day, seven days a week, that in and of itself is highly concerning, especially for a problem gambler, and their families.”

Problem gambling affects about 2 per cent of all Canadians, according to one study. Another study on online gaming found there are serious concerns that accessibility could increase among technology-savvy youth, and lead to an increase in the incidence and prevalence of “disordered gambling.”

That’s a major concern for Gabriel, the ease of which anyone can access these gambling services. With this new regulated service, regulated gambling services are just one screen away, withfering similar amenities found in brick-and-mortar casinos.

She said measures to regulate access are effective for most people, but can be easily overcome by users.

“The measures the service uses work for those willing to respond to those limits,” Gabriel said. “However, for a problem gambler, it’s very easy for them to go in and change those limits and to disregard those limits when they find themselves caught up in chasing their losses.”

iGaming Ontario is confident in the safety and responsibility of their new service.

iGaming said it seeks to empower individual owners to offer help to players while enforcing some basic guidelines. These include spending- and time-limit setting tools, with the ability to take a short-term break or to self-exclude. It said these measures should be sufficient to meet players’ needs.

According to iGaming, government measures include a time limit, budget and an amount of money that a person can use, but these can simply be adjusted by the same user to allow for extended playtime and higher stakes.

“Each operator has their own unique tools and customizations,” iGaming said. “As per the AGCO Registrar Standards, at a minimum Operators must provide spend-limit and time-limit setting tools and the ability to take a short-term break or to self-exclude for a longer term.

iGaming is planning to run a centralized self-exclusion program soon, but it is currently still being set up.

“Every regulated internet gaming operator in Ontario will offer its own self-exclusion program and details about their program can be found on their respective websites,” iGaming said. “iGO is working to develop a centralized self-exclusion program that will allow players to register for self-exclusion from all regulated websites in Ontario.”

iGaming has also launched a two-year study to look at problem gambling in Ontario to determine how to reduce the problems faced by problem gamblers.

“iGaming Ontario has commissioned the Responsible Gambling Council to conduct a two-year research study on the prevalence of problem gambling in Ontario” iGaming said on its website.

It said the research will examine changes in internet gaming and problem gambling, the demographics of those most likely to be associated with problem gambling and whether they are aware of responsible gambling tools available.

Previously, gambling sites were sparsely regulated, and there was little to no protection or assistance offered to gamblers.

In a statement released by iGaming on Jan. 28, its executive director, Martha Otton, said a regulated government service would bring order to a grey area of the gaming business in Ontario.

“Today, most internet gaming by Ontarians takes place on websites not conducted and managed by the province,” Otton said. “Our new internet gaming market will support the growth of a new, legal market and generate revenue that can help fund programs and services that benefit all of us.”

Gabriel said the new service was a welcome decision.

“The government has taken on much more responsibility in terms of trying to protect people,” Gabriel said. “They’re putting stop gap measures in place and I think that’s better than nothing and better late than never.”