title: An examination of internet and land-based gambling among adolescents in three Canadian provinces: results from the youth gambling survey (YGS).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With the rapid proliferation of new gambling technology and online gambling opportunities, there is a concern that online gambling could have a significant impact on public health, particularly for adolescents. The aim of this study is to examine online and land-based gambling behaviour among adolescents in 3 Canadian provinces (Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan) prior to the implementation of legalized online gambling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data are from 10,035 students in grades 9 to 12 who responded to the 2012-2013 Youth Gambling Survey (YGS) supplement, a questionnaire administered as part of the Canadian Youth Smoking Survey (YSS, 2012) in 3 provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador (n = 2,588), Ontario (n = 3,892), and Saskatchewan (n = 3,555).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 41.6% of adolescents (35.9% of females and 47.4% of males) had gambled in the past 3 months. 9.4% of adolescents had gambled online in the past 3 months alone (3.7% of females and 15.3% of males). The most popular form of online gambling was online sports betting. Adolescents also engaged in online simulated gambling including internet poker (9.1%) and simulated gambling on Facebook (9.0%). Few adolescents participated in online gambling exclusively and online gamblers were more likely than land-based gamblers to engage in multiple forms of gambling. A higher proportion of adolescent online gamblers scored "high" or "low to moderate" in problem gambling severity compared to land-based only gamblers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite restrictions on online gambling at the time of the study, adolescents were engaging in online gambling at a significantly higher rate than has been previously found. Adolescents were also using technology such as video games to gamble and free online gambling simulations.
authors.affiliation: Social and Epidemiological Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 100 Collip Circle, Suite 200, London, N6G 4X8, Ontario, Canada. tara.eltonmarshall@camh.ca.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. tara.eltonmarshall@camh.ca.|Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. tara.eltonmarshall@camh.ca.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elton-Marshall
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Scott T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Leatherdale
authors.affiliation: Social and Epidemiological Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 100 Collip Circle, Suite 200, London, N6G 4X8, Ontario, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Nigel E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D011634:Public Health; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D060756:Social Networking; D013177:Sports; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018910:Video Games
keywords: Adolescent; Gambling; Online; Prevalence