Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40954442›Full record

ArticleCanadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique2026

Public health implications of the deregulation and privatization of online and sports gambling in Canada.

Ryan Forrest

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Help-seeking for gambling problems following expansion of Ontario's online gambling market and legalization of single-event sports betting.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author.

Ryan ForrestDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. r.forrest@mail.utoronto.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6302-5577

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Recent legislative changes have allowed the rapid expansion of online and sports gambling in Ontario. These changes include the privatization of the online and sports gambling market and the legalization of marketing practices for private operators, leading to an unprecedented growth in opportunities and inducements to gamble. While the stated objectives of these reforms centre on economic growth, consumer choice, and consumer protections, the potential public health implications of this policy shift demand urgent attention. This commentary argues for the necessity of applying a public health lens to understand the wide range of potential harms associated with Ontario's gambling policy changes, particularly as other jurisdictions in Canada and across the Americas consider adopting similar approaches. It advocates for targeted research that reframes policy debates around gambling, moving away from a narrow focus on individual responsibility and towards a broader understanding informed by environmental, social, and commercial determinants of health. The public health community must step up to provide the public and decision-makers with the evidence needed to mitigate harm, protect vulnerable populations, and advance equitable health outcomes.

Indexed as

GamblingGovernment RegulationInternetPrivatizationPublic HealthSportsCanadaHumansOntarioPublic PolicyAddictionCommercial determinants of healthGamblingGambling policyPublic health

Identifiers

PMID40954442
PMCPMC13345661

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.