安大略省在线赌博市场扩展后赌博成瘾急诊就诊数翻倍

多伦多大学的研究显示，安大略省在线赌博市场开放后，赌博成瘾相关的急诊就诊数量大幅增加。1 该研究分析了14年的数据，发现赌博成瘾急诊就诊总数达到952次，其中75%为男性患者。1 在年龄分布上，10至29岁的男性就诊数增加了154%，30至44岁的男性增加了116%，而女性患者就诊数没有明显变化。1

这一趋势与加拿大的赌博政策变化密切相关。1 加拿大于2021年8月将单场体育赌博合法化，安大略省随后在2022年4月允许私营企业进入在线赌博市场。1 2024年，安大略人民通过260万个玩家账户在这些网站上下注827亿加元。1

超过70%的赌博成瘾急诊患者伴随其他心理健康问题或重度物质使用情况，其中33%最终需要住院治疗。1 该研究已发表在《美国预防医学杂志》上。1 此外，阿尔伯塔省于2026年7月成为第二个允许私营运营商提供在线赌博服务的省份。1

Researchers at the University of Toronto have documented a sharp increase in emergency department visits related to gambling addiction following the expansion of Ontario's online gambling market.1 The study, which analyzed 14 years of data, found that overall gambling-related emergency visits doubled, with particularly pronounced increases among young men.1 Men aged 10-29 experienced a 154 percent surge in visits, while men aged 30-44 saw a 116 percent increase, though visits among women remained unchanged.1

The expansion of Ontario's online gambling market accelerated in recent years, with single-game sports wagering legalized across Canada in August 2021, followed by approval for private operators to enter the online gambling market in Ontario in April 2022.1 In 2024 alone, Ontarians wagered CAD 82.7 billion through 2.6 million player accounts on these platforms.1 Over the 14-year study period, there were 952 emergency visits for gambling addiction, with men accounting for 75 percent of cases.1

The research reveals the severity of gambling-related harms in emergency settings. More than 70 percent of patients presenting with gambling addiction had concurrent mental health issues or substance use disorders, and approximately one-third required hospitalization.1 The findings were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.1