Problem Gambling: A Guide for Helping Professionals

Problem Gambling: A Guide for Helping Professionals
What Is Gambling
A person is gambling whenever he or she takes the chance of losing
money or belongings, and when winning or losing is decided mostly
by chance.
There are many different ways to gamble, including:
• casino games
• bingo
• keno
• slot machines
• lottery tickets
• scratch, Nevada or pull-tab tickets
• betting on card games, mah-jong or dominoes
• betting on horse racing
• other sports betting
• betting on games of skill, such as golf or pool
• tombola and similar games
• Internet gambling
• stock market speculation.
facts about gambling in ontario and canada
• In 2005, 63.3% of Ontario adults gambled at least once in the last year—
usually with lottery tickets. The vast majority of people who gamble do
so without problems. 1
• The gaming industry in Canada generates more than $14 billion in
revenues. Spending on gaming in Canada is larger than magazine, book,
spectator sport, movie theatre and performing arts sectors combined. 2
• Ontario has over 11,000 ticket lottery outlets—the most in North
America. Ontario Lottery and Gaming (olg) operates 101 lottery games
(16 online, 76 instant, four sports and five bingo). Online games remain
the top revenue generators in the lottery division and account for 65% of
overall olg lottery revenues. 3
• In 2006, olg lotteries and bingo generated $2.4 billion in revenue
(before prize deductions). 3
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