Heather Arranie 
The rise of online gambling, particularly over the past decade, has resulted in more accessible entertainment opportunities for millions of players. The greater accessibility has led to a steady rise in countries legalizing the pastime and establishing regulations to control it, resulting in a booming iGaming industry.
At the same time, however, there have been concerns over a rise in problem gambling. As more and more players access casino-style slot machine games and other forms of entertainment they can bet on, more light has been shed on the reality of gambling addiction in various countries.
But is the rise of online gambling directly linked to an increase in problem gambling, or is this belief just sensationalism with little truth to it? Let’s find out.
What Is Problem Gambling?
According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction (CCSA), problem gambling is any action involving placing bets with an unknown outcome that disrupts or negatively affects normal life or activities. This disruption falls into four main categories:
Financial Problems
Any time that gambling leads to financial problems, it can be defined as problem gambling. This includes the accumulation of debt in order to continue playing, losing significant sums of money, and taking money from other expenses (such as rent or food money) to place more bets.
Relationship Problems
Another trademark of problem gambling is the effect it has on relationships between the player and others. Often, neglect of relationships is the first visible sign of a gambling addiction—as a gambler would rather spend time online than with friends. Incessant arguing with others is another common indication.
Health Problems
Although surprising to some, addictive gambling can have severe physical implications for affected players.
These may present themselves as sleep problems due to late-night gambling sessions, weight changes caused by little activity while sitting and playing, and even stress-induced illnesses caused by prolonged losing streaks.
Mental Health Issues
Finally, problem gambling has been associated with various mental illnesses and issues, such as heightened anxiety when not playing, depression caused by excessive losses, and even suicidal thoughts in extreme circumstances.
Although not every problem gambler will experience effects from all the categories above, it is common for at least one to be present. When this occurs, gamblers may have difficulties continuing normal life, and things may spiral out of control.
Problem Gambling Across the World
Problem gambling statistics vary vastly from one country to another depending on whether or not legal gambling is allowed, the economic climate of the country, and the culture of residents—who may either be for or against gambling.
For example, Latvia, a small country in north-eastern Europe, has the world’s highest percentage (6%) of problem gamblers. China, on the other hand, has the highest number of players fighting gambling addiction. Although only around 2.5% of players were classified as problem gamblers in 2008, this figure rose significantly to 4% in 2024—representing a staggering 60 million players.
Other countries don’t fare much better. Canada, where online gambling has become heavily regulated in recent years, saw less than 1% of players experiencing problems in 2002 to more than 3% by the end of 2024.
Places like the UK have experienced little change in problem gambler numbers despite the increase in their popularity. Recording a previous problem gambling rate of 0.5%, current statistics place problem gamblers at 0.9% of the population—representing a very slight increase.
The USA, among other countries, has bucked the trend of increasing problem gambling entirely. While earlier statistics reported that 3.5% of the population were problem gamblers, a recent figure has dropped to just 1%. It should be mentioned, however, that as of 2018, the risk of gambling addiction in the country has risen by more than 30%.
The Impact of Online Gambling on Problem Gambling
There is no concrete proof that the increase in accessibility of online casinos and other wagering games has led to a rise in problem gambling in any country. While many argue that it is inevitable, things are not so clear-cut when comparing the increase in problem gambling to the rise in players.
Canada, for example, has over 18.9 million online gamblers, accounting for 64.5% of Canadians over 18 who gamble regularly. This represents an increase of 101.56% from the 32% of Canadians who gambled online in 2014. As such, problem gambling, if directly linked to this, would also have experienced a significant shift upwards.
However, problem gambling in the country has increased only 2.6% since 2002—representing an increase of 0.11% annually. If considered from 2014 as per the number of gamblers, this represents an increase of 1.02% in problem gambling—compared to an increase of 101.56% in players.
Aside from little clear evidence that increased online gambling activities have resulted in higher levels of problem gambling, regulations require all online casinos to engage in extensive problem gambler prevention programs.
Among the best online casinos, this includes:
Restricting Gambling Access
Chief among the strategies to help curb problem gambling is casinos restricting access to casino games to certain players. This limits access to games based on age or self-exclusion and can even be set to limit based on the amount spent.
Offering Responsible Gambling Assistance
Many online casinos are also required to prominently display responsible gambling adverts and links to websites like ConnexOntario, which can help problem gamblers overcome addiction. These adverts are recommended, if not required, to be displayed within the site footer to ensure gamblers can easily find the help they need.
Final Say
Despite the common belief that increased online gambling has resulted in above-average rates of problem gambling, there is insufficient proof to show a casual relationship. Although many countries have experienced an increase in gambling addiction, this increase is not consistent with the increase in the number of players accessing online gambling services.
As such, saying that online gambling has created a worldwide problem for gamblers is unfair to the growing industry offering entertainment to millions. However, online casinos and players should take the proper precautions to ensure iGaming never becomes synonymous with problem gambling.
