A 13-year McGill University study of more than 2,300 Quebec residents with a gambling disorder found they averaged fewer than two treatment episodes each — despite the province’s specialist addiction services being free at the point of use.
Gambling addiction treatment in Quebec is going largely unused by the people who need it. Research published in the Journal of Gambling Studies on July 6, 2026 by McGill University and the Douglas Research Centre tracked more than 2,300 people with a gambling disorder across 13 years and found they accessed fewer than two treatments on average. The finding lands as Canadian provinces widen their regulated online markets, putting the effectiveness of publicly funded treatment — not just its availability — at the centre of the responsible gambling debate.
Key Facts:
• More than 2,300 people with a gambling disorder were followed for 13 years — McGill University / Douglas Research Centre
• Participants averaged fewer than two treatment episodes across the full period, despite free access
• Around 42% of those who entered treatment returned for multiple admissions
• Online gamblers showed a 15% higher treatment admission rate than other gamblers
• Data was drawn from 14 of Quebec’s 16 specialist addiction centres, cross-referenced against provincial health records
What the study actually found
The research team reviewed medical records from 14 of the 16 specialist addiction centres operating in Quebec and matched them against health and social service administrative data across the province. That design matters: rather than relying on people to self-report, it tracked real clinical contact over more than a decade.
Fewer than two treatment episodes per person over 13 years is not a system overwhelmed by demand — it is a system people are not reaching. Among those who did enter treatment, roughly 42% came back for further admissions, which the authors read as evidence that gambling disorder behaves like a chronic condition rather than a one-off problem.
“Gambling disorder is not something that can be resolved in a single treatment. It often requires sustained, long-term care,” said Marie-Josée Fleury, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University and the study’s senior author. (McGill University)
Why the online channel changes the picture
One finding cuts directly at the industry’s growth channel. Online gamblers in the cohort showed a 15% higher rate of treatment admission than other gamblers — a signal that the always-available format carries a different risk profile from a trip to a land-based venue.
“Online gambling makes it easier to act on impulse, which can increase the risk of relapse and repeated treatment,” said Ovidiu Tatar, a postdoctoral researcher and co-author of the study. (EurekAlert)
That is an awkward result for a country mid-iGaming expansion. Ontario’s market, overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), has run since 2022, and Alberta’s regulated online market launches this month under Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC). Both require operators to surface responsible gambling tools. The Quebec data suggests tools inside a casino product are not the same as clinical care — and the handoff between them is where people are lost.
What regulators and operators do next
Fleury’s recommendation is to widen screening rather than build more centres. She argues that gambling problems should be screened for across the wider healthcare system — particularly in emergency departments, where patients presenting with alcohol or drug problems may also have an undiagnosed gambling disorder that nobody asks about.
For the business side, the implication is a compliance one. Regulators in Great Britain and the Netherlands have already moved from voluntary player-protection standards toward mandatory financial and affordability checks. A study showing that free treatment goes unused strengthens the argument for interventions that happen upstream, inside the operator’s product, before a player ever reaches a clinic.
FAQ
Q: Is gambling addiction treatment free in Quebec?
A: Yes. Specialist addiction services are publicly funded and free at the point of use, which is what makes the low uptake in the McGill study notable.
Q: How many people did the study follow?
A: More than 2,300 people diagnosed with a gambling disorder, tracked over 13 years using records from 14 of Quebec’s 16 specialist addiction centres.
Q: Are online gamblers more likely to need treatment?
A: In this cohort, yes — online gamblers had a 15% higher treatment admission rate, which the authors link to the impulsivity the format enables.
For related coverage, see our reports on the UKGC’s staged financial risk assessments and the AGCO’s $170,000 fine against Great Canadian.
This article is informational analysis only and is not betting, gambling or financial advice.
Gambling carries financial risk and can be addictive. If you or someone you know needs help, visit GamCare (UK), call 1-800-GAMBLER (US), or see our Responsible Gambling page.
