iGaming Ontario faces criticism for withholding problem gambling study

TORONTO · The head of Canada's gaming industry association says iGaming Ontario's decision to withhold a problem gambling study risks damaging an industry built on trust. Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, criticized the agency's choice not to release research it commissioned before Ontario's online gambling market launched in April 2022. "I think better choices could have been made," Burns said. "It's unfortunate. The iGaming industry is built on trust and transparency." According to an investigation, iGaming Ontario identified methodological concerns with the study and determined it did not meet the standard needed to inform policy.

Internal documents obtained through freedom of information requests show the study was conducted by the Responsible Gambling Council in 2021. The agency had initially committed to making the research public but ultimately chose not to release its findings on problem gambling rates. Burns emphasized the industry's reliance on credible data for effective regulation. "We support public, evidence-based research. We need trustworthy data," he said. "We want a clear picture of what the state of gambling, harm, and play is in the province."

When documents were finally released in response to a request that identified over 1,750 pages of records, they were heavily redacted. The researchers' findings were obscured and hundreds of pages were withheld entirely. iGaming Ontario stated that releasing certain records could "harm the province's economic interests." The controversy emerges alongside reports of rising gambling-related harms in Ontario, including increased emergency room visits, bankruptcies, and calls to support helplines. In a statement, an iGaming Ontario spokesperson defended the provincial regulatory framework as operating under some of North America's strictest consumer protection standards. "We continue to work with our partners to strengthen responsible gaming and protect players across the province," the spokesperson said. The agency highlighted nearly $5 million in investments over the past year for responsible gaming initiatives, including campus education programs and the BetGuard self-exclusion tool. "We will continue to build on these protections while introducing new tools, programs and partnerships that support player health across Ontario," the spokesperson added.

Burns warned that a lack of data leads to poor policy shaped by anecdotes rather than evidence. "Without data and information, gaming policy and regulation get shaped by headlines and anecdotes, and that doesn't serve anybody," he said. He stated that ongoing independent research is a crucial tool for measuring the effectiveness of regulatory oversight. The newspaper conducting the investigation has called on Premier Doug Ford to address the issue directly, with its editorial board calling the shelving of the report "appalling." The investigation remains ongoing.