Content warning: This article discusses gambling and addiction.

The house always wins — a lesson I learned all too quickly through my extensive experience playing poker and blackjack in my adolescent years. In gambling, ‘the house’ refers to the casino or the game operator, which designs ways to ensure they always have a statistical edge over players. It’s a common phrase among gambling skeptics: one I also emphasize. 

Yet, the feeling of winning is addicting. 

With the rush of dopamine and that feeling of gaining what feels like free money, you can convince yourself that you’ve managed to subvert the system and turned mere luck into skill. This ‘skill’ could apply to anything, whether it’s mastering a perfect poker face or becoming an expert in ‘statistical analysis’ in sports betting. However, the reality of gambling is far less forgiving.

Digital gambling has become the future of gambling. Where once gambling could be limited to a weekly poker game or the odd lottery ticket, gambling apps now are accessible wherever you go. This could be before you get out of bed, in class or work, or even while driving — all in the palm of your hands. 

The appeal of these gambling apps especially caters to the younger generation who lead a life dominated by the digital media. As gambling blends seamlessly into daily life, its accessibility turns it from a high-stakes activity into a routine habit — one that feeds the illusion of control, keeping players hooked as they convince themselves that the next hand, next game, or next bet will finally pay out. 

The digital transformation of gambling

Despite the belief that skill or strategy can lead to big wins, statistics for online gambling tell a different story. A 2024 study from the University of California, San Diego found that 96 per cent of gamblers on sports betting apps were net losers: only four per cent made money — while others consistently made losing bets. 

Gambling has been legal in Canada since 1985, and Ontario legalized online sports betting in 2022. Since 2023, there has been a 70 per cent growth in Ontarian online betting. This may be because of the provincial government’s lax gambling restrictions, or even insidious marketing from gambling companies such as Stake, which is essentially an online casino. 

Gambling companies like Stake’s aggressive marketing strategies and partnerships with celebrities — putting watermarks on viral X (formerly Twitter) posts and using Drake in hidden ad campaigns — seem to market themselves to a primarily younger audience. In 2024, even Toronto’s subway cars were entirely wrapped in gambling ads, courtesy of Maltese betting app Betano.

This aggressive push to attract new gamblers isn’t happening in isolation — it’s part of a broader surge in online gambling, reflected in skyrocketing profits worldwide. Since Ontario legalized online sports betting, online betting has contributed $1.58 billion to Ontario’s GDP within a year.  

The impact on younger users

With the relaxing of gambling laws online and the push towards a younger demographic, the gambling market is only set to increase. The more younger audiences become addicted to gambling, the more profits grow. A Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) report from [add year] notes that Canadian children and youth are especially susceptible to gambling advertisements. 

According to CAMH, younger Canadians aged 10–24 have higher rates of “problem gambling” — gambling behaviour that is damaging to a person or their family or disrupts daily life and work — compared to adults. 

This problem extends to video games, where players can purchase virtual items called ‘loot boxes’ through in-game currency, and even free-to-play casino-style games. This introduces younger children to the dynamics of gambling without having to spend ‘real’ money. 

I believe this is a clear indicator that we need to radically change our mindset on how gambling is affecting us, especially among undergraduate students’ age and younger. 

According to the University of Buffalo’s 2013 meta-analysis, a staggering 10 per cent of US college students exhibit signs of problem gambling, far exceeding the two to five per cent of the general US population that suffers from this disorder. 

In a 2022 study, Statistics Canada also found that men are more likely to develop a moderate-to-severe risk of gambling dependency than women which, from my observation, is likely because online gambling tends to target men.

In my experience, peer pressure also plays a large role in the increase of gambling among youth. The fear of missing out plays heavily on the psyche of college students, making it increasingly difficult for them to resist temptation. For many, gambling even becomes a form of escapism fueled by a dangerous cycle of loss and desperation, sometimes at the cost of their financial aid money, academic performance, and relationships.

Tackling problem gambling

As it stands, the Canadian government addresses gambling harms by providing “responsible gambling” measures. This includes self-exclusion programs, pre-commitment tools for spending limits, and requiring licensed operators to follow responsible gambling policies. However, these measures rely on voluntary participation and place the burden of harm prevention on individuals, rather than addressing the structural factors that enable gambling addiction. 

While there are age restrictions to gambling apps, the government must enforce stricter regulations on advertising and promotions targeting young people, increase oversight of offshore and unregulated gambling platforms, and strengthen enforcement against sites that bypass existing restrictions. And, since young people frequent the TTC, it should not be a place to promote gambling platforms.

Additionally, I believe we must introduce stricter oversight of online games — particularly those with loot boxes or gambling-like elements — which can help prevent these platforms from becoming gateways to harmful gambling behaviours.

In Ontario, organizations like CAMH provide free treatment and counselling services for people affected by gambling dependency. An example of this is CAMH’s Gambling Policy Framework, which gives recommendations for alleviating gambling-related harms through legislation, limitation, and stricter regulation.

By increasing education on responsible gambling behaviours and improving mental health support, we can mitigate the negative impacts of gambling on vulnerable populations such as the easily influenced youth. 

I’ve seen firsthand how unregulated gambling can quietly affect people, often in ways that aren’t immediately obvious. I believe it’s time we take a closer look at the risks to our generation and those who come after us, as well as start prioritizing support and regulation to help those who are struggling before it’s too late. Let’s not allow those unfortunate parlays to turn into bad days.

Avin De is a third-year student at Rotman Commerce studying finance and economics. He is an associate editor for the The Varsity’s Opinion section.