ConnexOntario says demand for problem-gambling help in Ontario has risen as the province’s regulated online betting market has grown, but the money it gets from the Ministry of Health has increased only modestly. In 2025-26, problem-gambling contacts accounted for 32% of the agency’s live-agent interactions, up from 15% in 2021-22.
Global News reported that ConnexOntario’s total interactions climbed from 92,780 in 2019-20 to 155,391 in 2025-26, while average call length stretched from just under eight minutes to almost 12. The non-profit is the first point of contact for people dealing with mental health, addictions and problem gambling, and it offers private one-on-one consultations plus access to more than 5,320 support services.
Its 2024-25 impact report said more than 92,000 people contacted the organisation between April 2024 and March 2025. In that period, the call centre was available 24/7/365, nearly 246,000 referrals to treatment organisations across Ontario were made, and the website logged more than 73,000 searches for mental health and addiction resources.
The same report said ConnexOntario recorded 62,996 phone contacts, 22,289 web chats, 3,296 emails and 3,517 text or SMS contacts. A year earlier, more than 93,000 Ontarians contacted the service between April 2023 and March 2024, when problem gambling accounted for 4.5% of primary reasons for calling.
ConnexOntario is funded entirely by Ontario’s Ministry of Health. Funding rose 5% in 2023-24 and another 4% in 2025-26, taking it to $4.18 million, but the agency said that was nowhere near enough to cover demand.
Nerin Kaur, the executive director, said online gambling has made betting more accessible and that increased advertising and the normalization of gambling are bringing more people forward for help. She said many callers describe chasing losses, gambling longer than intended, hiding gambling from family members or struggling with financial stress. Its 2023-24 report said its contact information was advertised by Ontario’s regulated gaming providers, the TTC, Metrolinx and other organisations across the province.
Kaur said staff are seeing more demand and that the calls are becoming more complex, with people needing more supportive listening, more understanding of the mental health and addiction system, and more help with follow-up and expectations. The report said the sharpest increases in problem-gambling enquiries are among boys and men aged 15 to 24, while Global News also reported growth among people aged 35 to 45.
Ontario’s regulated iGaming market launched in April 2022. The report said iGaming Ontario had 47 licensed operators and 81 gaming websites, with 1.257 million active player accounts in May, compared with 277,000 in the market’s first month.
ConnexOntario said its priorities include expanding capacity to respond to rising demand, maintaining timely access to support, continuing follow-up after initial contact and evolving its navigation model to meet changing needs.
