High Stakes: A Mental Health Perspective on Gambling in Canada
About the report
This information represents 8,890 Canadians 16 and older who answered questions about their mental health in MHRC’s Canada-wide survey between October 2024 - January 2025.
We thank Greo Evidence Insights (Greo) for their partnership and support in developing the questions about gambling for this report.
As part of a series of research reports exploring how prevalent is gambling in Canada, this report explores the relationship between gambling and mental health indicators in Canada.
MHRC’s latest data reveals gambling has been associated with negative mental health outcomes, particularly among individuals who experience problem gambling. For them, gambling can contribute to significant financial strain, social isolation, psychological distress, and in some cases, suicidal ideation.
By understanding the mental health impacts of gambling, we can inform policy decisions, reduce harm, and support population well-being.
Key findings include:
73.1% of Canadians reported participating in some form of gambling.
9.1% were classified as people with problematic gambling, according to the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI).
People with problematic gambling were 4 times more likely to indicate symptoms of anxiety and depression according to the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 compared to those who gamble but were not at risk.
Those with problematic gambling were 4 times more likely to thought about suicide and 7 times more likely to have planned a suicide in the last 12 months.