Researchers warn ER visits may reveal only tip of iceberg of broader gambling harm
2 Sep 16 · 7d ago · 1 article · 2 posts · 14 comments · 3 sources · development 2 of 2
Study authors emphasize that emergency room visits represent a small fraction of total gambling-related harm. Senior author Daniel Myran states the findings are evidence of what could be a broader public health crisis, noting that most people with gambling problems never seek care.
“It makes me worry about a public-health crisis. The reaction I had on first seeing these numbers is, this is really bad.”
Daniel MyranRyan Forrest Public health doctoral student, U of T Dalla Lana SchoolDaniel Myran Senior author, U of T associate professor and ICES scientistTara Elton-Marshall Associate professor, University of OttawaOntario government Regulator of online gambling market
The whole story articlespostscomments the bright band is this development · numbered dots are the others · click one to jump
Reported in the same hours no headline names this development itself — these 2 claims were published in its stretch
-
3 outlets Emergency room visits for gambling disorders nearly doubled after expanded online gambling market
first by University of Toronto, 7d ago · also Toronto Life, HN Frontpage
2 more headlines
-
first by Yahoo News Canada, 7d ago · also Global News
1 more headline
- ER visits for gambling rise in Ontario since expansion of online betting: study Global News · 7d ago
What people said 18 voices · verbatim
-
Back when legalized gambling was on the ballot for my state, I was enthusiastic supportive, even though I don’t enjoy gambling personally. I conflated these bans with a sort of religious and social nannying, an affront to individual liberties and denying a legal livelihood for something people will do anyways. Legalizing gambling was a step in…
-
Our incredible brains are easily high-jacked. Another concerning trend in global/societal mental health that stresses different parts of it (e.g. increased ER visits). If the entirety of humanity is a connected mind let's say, and more and more parts of it are being damaged by companies that capitalize on "flaws" in the human brain -- which means…
-
It should either be illegal or not. This idea that the state has a monopoly on getting money from doing a thing that you are saying is bad doesn't make sense.If it is bad and yet the government is allowed to use it to make money then is the government evil? Why does the government get to do it if we can't? It just makes the whole thing seem…
-
I have never felt anything about gambling. Most boring thing ever. I don't feel anything about investment, and wrote automation to track mine because it's all so boring.I wouldn't tempt fate to try to expose myself more, but it doesn't seem like I contain whatever is required to form these addictions.Has it been studied if some people are just…
-
So there is more awareness of the problem, gambling ads are required to publish a helpline number. Most of the gamers have other psychological disorders. Thus it's awareness + more consistent asking for help + regular naming of gambling among other problems.What is the number of non-gamblers that started gambling and ended up in ER and would not…
-
All gambling should be state owned. It is a strict societal loss anyway, we can at least soften the overall blow.Losses can be redistributed and cover for the externalities of gambling. And we will be able to control the knob on how addictive we make them.For profit companies have the target to maximize their profit, so of course they will ramp up…
-
Vegas was such a great solution to gambling for Americans. We had it contained to a specific place, making it easy to access but also easy to avoid.Cryptocurrency, which turned into just another form of gambling, seems to have been the corrupting influence that allowed it to spread into people's homes. I hope we can reverse it somehow.
-
A few months ago I read an article that compared vibe coding to gambling[0] and I've found it a useful model.[0]: maybe this one:
-
Out of seemingly nowhere a few years ago, the canadian local landscape changed overnight.I feel like I am walking around las vegas half the time.Virtually every corner store has turned into those english sports betting pubs or whatever they have all over England.It's disgusting.
-
> In 2024, Ontarians wagered $82.7 billion CAD on these sites through 2.6 million player accounts.Truly astounding numbers. Without a doubt, online gambling is the most preventable public health crisis of our generation. None of this had any business getting legalized.
-
An advertising ban would solve 80% of the problem. This stuff has always been around for those who want it, and (arguably) in a free society should be. But shoving it down people's throats in every channel imaginable has to end.
-
Since this was recently legalized and nothing that we say on HN or in general will actually lead to changing it back (we were never asked to legalize it in the first place), I’m inclined to lean into this and say: good, fuck ‘em!
-
State owned, no advertising, and your last year's tax return to prove income.As they are now, even state level gambling is used as a tax on the poor, because they're the people desperate enough to do it.
-
It's still shocking to me that there are so many California Lottery advertisements (I'm sure other states have these too). They're spending taxpayer money to make poor people poorer...
-
> Emergency room visits for gambling disordersAre Canadian ERs different than ERs in the U.S.? Why would one go to an emergency room, seek emergency treatment, for a gambling disorder?
-
Pretty much agree. But even then, the state should not be incentivizing its use (looking you, CA lottery and friends).Gambling is a drug, and should be recognized as such.
-
good news for cancer and CVDat this rate, in 40 years 100% of ER visits will be due to gambling disorders.really a triumph in public health
-
Why did it result in an emergency room visit? Did they try to self-harm or something because of losses?
All 2 developments of Ontario ER visits for gambling disorders doubled after… →
MastodonHacker NewsNewswiresGoogle News