Ontario’s online gaming agency iGaming Ontario (iGO) has teamed up with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) to expand the latter’s gambling harm education for college-aged students in the province.
The organizations announced on Wednesday, Sept. 23, that the non-profit RGC is doubling its gambling harm prevention program to encompass 40 publicly funded college and university campuses across the province for the current academic year.
Previously aimed at 20 campuses across the province through an initiative funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Health, RGC said that iGO’s new support will double the program’s footprint and target 10,000 in-person student interactions.
Now in its 25th year, RGC’s post-secondary campus tour offers in-person education, supports, and resources and an interactive education program delivered by RGC-trained peer-aged ambassadors.
This year, a Random Tower installation features a life-sized Jenga-style activity customized with important messages about harm reduction. iGO’s contribution also funds the brand-new introduction of a minimum of 10,000 Student Education Kits to be distributed over the year through institutions’ campus health services, residence life, and wellness teams.
“Young adults are growing up in a world where betting is woven into how they watch and talk about sports,” said RGC CEO Sarah McCarthy. “Meeting students on campus, in the moments that matter, is how we help them understand the risks and know their options.
“With iGaming Ontario’s support, we can now do that on almost all publicly funded campuses in the province.”
Studies say college-aged Ontarians most vulnerable
iGO and the RGC noted that young adults aged 18 to 24 are consistently shown by research to be one of the most vulnerable demographics at high risk of gambling harm. About 70% of that age group in Ontario attend college or university, so campuses are one of the most direct ways to reach them.
One such study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal earlier this year stated that the rate of young men contacting the ConnexOntario mental health helpline for gambling-related problems increased more than 300% between January 2012 and September 2025. Canada legalized single-event sports betting in 2021 and Ontario opened its commercial online gambling market in 2022.
An even more recent report suggested that visits to Ontario’s emergency departments for gambling disorders have almost doubled since the province opened for business to private online gambling operators in April 2022.
In both of those studies, young men were the demographic most often reaching out for help.
Bringing BetGuard tool to campuses
iGO’s BetGuard centralized self-exclusion tool, which allows gamblers in Ontario to opt out of all regulated online gambling in the province, will be a central feature of the campus program and its branding.
Each Student Education Kit offers not only gambling harm prevention information but also a BetGuard information card and QR code to allow students to learn more and understand how they can opt out of regulated online gambling in the province.
“We are excited to partner with the Responsible Gambling Council to bring meaningful gambling education to 40 of Ontario’s publicly funded post-secondary campuses,” said iGO President and CEO Joseph Hillier.
“We’re proud to have recently launched BetGuard, which gives Ontarians a simple option to take a break from all regulated online gambling. This is just one part of our comprehensive responsible gaming approach that includes ongoing education on risks and knowing where to get support when you need it.”
‘Thousands’ of Ontarians using BetGuard
iGO unveiled BetGuard in April at RGC’s Discovery conference and officially launched the tool in May.
A spokesperson for the provincial government agency told Canadian Gaming Business recently that thousands of users opted out of iGaming platforms using the system within the first two months of it becoming available.
“BetGuard is helping players manage their gaming practices by providing a new layer of protection in Ontario’s regulated iGaming market. As a result of this program, iGaming Ontario has seen thousands of users successfully opt out of the regulated online gambling market,” said the spokesperson in July.
“Over the coming months, iGaming Ontario will continue to work with our partners and operators to increase public awareness of BetGuard as well as the safeguards it provides.”
iGO warns of BetGuard fraud
Now, the Ontario government and RGC are ramping up awareness of the BetGuard tool.
That comes after iGO warned earlier in September that the government of Ontario had noticed that some unlicensed third parties had been fraudulently using the BetGuard name and branding. iGO reminded the public that people looking for information about self-exclusion, BetGuard, and Ontario’s regulated iGaming market should rely on information found on:
- BetGuard.ca
- Licensed operators’ websites that are listed in iGO’s directory, as well as Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG)
- Key partners’ channels including Connex Ontario and the RGC
