Responsible Gambling Council reveals results from Ontario betting survey
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) revealed that two in five viewers, 41 per cent, of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs in Ontario will place a wager on one or more of the games with about a third of bettors, 30 per cent, planning to bet $101 or more. Three in five Ontarians, 59 per cent, plan on watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to the RGC. A betting survey was conducted using Leger’s online panel from November 22 to December 6 in 2024 with a margin of error of +/-2.9 per cent, 19 times out of 20. This survey provides insight into how many bettors in Ontario plan to wager on the NHL Playoffs and how much Ontario bettors plan to wager on the event.
Of the 41 per cent of Ontarians who plan to bet on the NHL Playoffs, 46 per cent of bettors are aged 45+ with an average bet of $182. According to the RGC’s survey, 52 per cent plan to bet $100 or less, 13 per cent plan to bet between $101 and $250, 8 per cent plan to bet between $251 and $500, and 9 per cent plan to bet more than $500. A little over half surveyed, 53 per cent, plan to make one bet on the outcome of a game. And a little under half, 47 per cent, will bet with a sportsbook online. The other bettors plan on betting with family and friends, sport-based lottery tickets, or in a pool.
Ontario bettors betting on big games
The survey also asked which other big games Ontario bettors plan on betting on. According to the survey, 35 per cent plan to bet on the FIFA Club World Cup, 27 per cent plan to bet on the MLB World Series, and 17 per cent plan to bet on the Asia Cricket World Cup. For big games, 29 per cent of bettors plan to wager $101 or more.
Ontario bettors revealed that they are betting for a few reasons. About half place bets to enhance the excitement of the game and to win money. About a quarter place bets because they feel knowledgeable about the teams or players. And about a quarter place bets because they feel confident about their chances of winning.
Ontario bettors and responsible gambling
Some bettors reported some negative impacts from betting. Over a quarter, 27 per cent, of Stanley Cup playoff bettors reported borrowing money or selling something to gamble. About two fifths reported their gambling caused mental health issues such as stress or anxiety and expressed concern that they may be experiencing problem gambling, 38 per cent.
According to the survey, some of the most common strategies for managing gambling risks are deciding on a pre-set betting limit, betting to have fun and not to make money, avoiding increasing bets on previous wins, and not betting more to recoup losses. Over a quarter bettors will refrain from betting when feeling emotionally distressed. And a fifth will avoid betting while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Responsible gambling features are available on all of the Ontario sportsbooks. According to the survey, a lot of Ontario bettors have reported using the responsible gambling tools that are available on the Ontario sports betting sites. 27 per cent reported reading information about the odds of winning and how games work. 24 per cent of Ontarians surveyed use money limit-setting tools, 21 per cent use personalized spending reports, 19 per cent take a cooling off period, and 24 per cent don’t bet more to recoup losses.
