The growth of online gambling is causing concerns about public health, and experts are urging quick united action from governments worldwide.
New Research Reveals Significant Risks and Financial Impact on Consumers
A new study from The Lancet Public Health Commission points out that the quick growth of the gambling industry driven by easy online access and widespread legalization poses serious health and social risks. The commission says that global losses by consumers from gambling could hit $700 billion by 2028 because of the rise in online platforms that let people gamble at any time.
Adam Pettle, who lives in Toronto and is getting over gambling addiction, said his trouble started when he was a teen, reported the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It got worse over time and led to big personal and financial problems. He talked about how online gambling and sports betting apps that are available 24/7 made his addiction stronger.
Pettle’s story backs up what The Lancet report found. The report talks about how online gambling products suck you in and move fast, which makes people more likely to get hooked and lose money.
Statistics in Canada show that almost two-thirds of adults gambled in 2018, with about 300,000 at risk of getting serious gambling problems. Things got more intense when single-event sports betting became legal in 2021.
Then Ontario made online gambling legal in 2022, which some people say created a “Wild West” scene. This change worried public health experts, who saw more sports betting ads and more calls to gambling help hotlines. Data from Ontario’s Problem Gambling Helpline showed more calls going from about 131 each month before COVID to 184 each month after online gambling became legal.
The Lancet Pushes for Tougher Global Gambling Controls
The Lancet calls for a change in how policymakers view gambling. It pushes governments to put public health before money and to tackle gambling with wide-ranging plans aimed at the whole population. These plans would include age limits backed by required ID checks, bans on ads, and systems that make people exclude themselves. The report also points out the need to protect consumers better and to set up independent groups to regulate gambling.
Experts say gambling should be handled much like tobacco and alcohol — allowed but under strict control because of the harm it can cause. The commission asks for teamwork across countries proposing that groups such as the United Nations add gambling harm to their health plans. The report cautions that without this, gambling problems will keep putting pressure on public health systems and hurting social structures.
At the same time, the gambling industry criticized The Lancet report as politically motivated and biased, warning that strict regulations could harm both operators and consumers while ignoring potential social and economic benefits.
