The OHA (Ottawa Health Agency), which is a Canadian governing body that deals with the different aspects of health in the nation has filled a report that aims to show the risks and dangers of Canadian online gambling as well as land based gambling. This report was a result of the increasing availability and accessibility of gambling games to Canadians. For instance, the new slot machines that were added to the Rideau Carleton Raceway, which will result in increasing the social problems that result from gambling addiction. The report also mentioned the social problem that result from online gambling as well.
The report also mentioned that with more governments starting to make internet gambling easily accessible to Canadians in order to increase the tax revenue coming from online gambling, more problems, especially social ones, will start to occur. The OHA also pointed out that during the last three years, the revenue from gambling in Canada has increased greatly. It also added that with the same proportion, more social problems that are gambling related have been reported.
The report also stated that it is not only about gambling addiction problems but this also includes many other tertiary issues such as debt, personal bankruptcy, foreclose, borrowing and many other social indicators that resulted from gambling during the same period.
It is also important to note that with the accessibility of online gambling websites and online casinos in Canada, more problems will arise, but these problems will happen whether the governments of the different provinces decide to legalize internet gambling or no, because there are many online casinos that already offer their services to Canadian players.
This shows that the traction and the popularity of online gambling are not because provincial governments are legalizing it, but it is becoming popular because it is a global industry that is gaining traction worldwide. So come to think of it, Canadians are already spending millions of dollars on online casino websites and if the provincial governments do not legalize online gambling, they will lose millions of potential tax revenue. On top of that, if it is legalized, it will assure players that they are playing at monitored and licensed websites. In simpler words, Pandora’s Box (online gambling) is opened and it will not be shut once again, so the OHA will have to work with the governments towards online gambling and not against it.