‘A casino in your pocket’: Expert weighs in on online gambling boom

While the government’s warning focuses on scams, addiction specialists say the broader issue is how easily gambling is now accessed and promoted online.

Craig Extine, manager of clinical operations for Homewood Ravensview, a private mental health and addiction treatment centre in British Columbia, said he is seeing increasing demand for treatment tied to online gambling, along with younger clients presenting for help since the pandemic.

He said many of the underlying issues are not just about gambling itself, but broader mental health challenges.

“Many people are living increasingly socially isolated lives, which then can be very much compounded by depression, anxiety, PTSD, [and] the impacts of addiction,” he said.

Extine said technology can intensify those struggles, particularly when gambling is integrated into everyday digital environments.

“Part of what happens for many people is access to technology, there’s just so much information… but also to really start to develop a pattern of basically dissociating in certain ways where it’s been kind of lost within the pattern of being online for hours and hours a day.”

He said the rise of online gambling has changed how quickly problems can develop.

“We can start to look at the increase in access to online gambling, the increase in certain advertising, sports betting, and the various kinds of platforms that are available. It’s really led to a casino in one’s pocket, where not everyone will have vulnerabilities or problems with gambling, but there’s many people who have concurrent issues who do have a vulnerability to either escape in certain ways or to get some excitement and thrill and focus in their life through gambling.”

Extine said that for those at risk, the consequences can escalate quickly.

“What we see here from clients is there’s people who are dealing with very large sums of money and significant losses, but then they’re able to stay up all night gambling… they can be with friends and family and all it takes is just a quick moment to sneak away with some of the kinds of methods that are available through some of these platforms.”

He added that secrecy and hiding behaviour often become part of the cycle, which can strain relationships and make it harder for people to recognize the extent of the problem.

A recent Angus Reid Institute poll found seven in 10 Canadians are concerned about an increase in problem gambling tied to online sports betting, while 28 per cent said they are worried someone they know is addicted. That rises to 37 per cent among people aged 18 to 34.

In November 2025, the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority held Responsible Gambling Awareness Week across its seven casinos, with more than 3,700 users accessing responsible gambling tools and over 1,000 completing surveys. Digital outreach during the campaign generated more than 1.75 million ad views, while the SIGA GameSense website recorded 5,058 visits.

Extine said support is available, but recovery often requires a structured approach.

“I would encourage folks to pursue counseling and therapy, a specialized treatment for the issue that you’re facing in this case, but also to involve family practitioners, physicians, and really kind of build a support team. There’s a lot of options out there [and] it can take some time to connect to those.”

— with files from The Canadian Press

by Logan Lehmann

‘A casino in your pocket’: Expert weighs in on online gambling boom

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