Ontario Study: 36 Percent of Gaming Revenue Attributed to Problem Gamblers

According to the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre, government-sponsored gambling is “contrary to the interest of the general populace and therefore contrary to the purpose of government.” Robert Williams and Robert Wood, professors at the research organization, have released a study suggesting that 36 percent of the revenue generated by Ontario casinos comes from “problem gamblers,” while a fraction of this revenue is spent to address problem gambling issues.

The study concluded that 60 percent of gaming machine revenue came from problem gamblers, who also provided 53 percent of horse racing revenue. By contrast, the study asserts that 22 percent of table game revenue and 19 percent of revenue from lotteries and similar games came from problem gamblers.

The study also noted that approximately 4.8 percent of Ontario residents have a gambling problem, with Ontario spending only 2.6 percent of its gaming revenue ($36 million out of a total of $1.41 billion) on prevention and treatment programs for compulsive gamblers.

The study, which was based entirely on gamblers’ responses, surveyed 2,424 Ontario residents to estimate their monthly gambling expenses. Of that group, 364 residents completed a diary of their gaming activity during a four-week period.  The researchers used this information to classify the individuals on the Canadian Problem Gambling Index, which contains four levels of gambling: severe problem, moderate problem, low risk, nonproblem gambler. The study’s public report does not reveal how the researchers classified participants on the CPGI, nor does it explain the methodology of the patron-expenditure projections.