Patterns and trends in gambling participation in the Quebec population between 2009 and 2012

To describe gambling practices and trends in Quebec between 2009 and 2012 given that, in Canada, public funding allocation to address the risks associated with gambling practices should be based on valid prevalence data and knowledge of patterns and trends in vulnerable populations.

The study data were taken from the 2009 and 2012 cross-sectional waves of the Enquête sur les habitudes de jeu des Québécois (ENHJEU-Québec). The analytical sample consisted of 11,888 respondents in 2009 and 12,008 respondents in 2012.

The prevalence of lifetime non-gamblers in the adult population of Quebec increased from 13.6% in 2009 to 16.4% in 2012, and past-year gambling participation decreased from 70.5% to 66.2%. Changes in gambling patterns were not contingent on demographic characteristics; gambling prevalence decreased in all subcategories. The proportion of problem and low-risk gamblers remained unchanged, whereas the prevalence of non-problem gamblers decreased significantly from 66.1% in 2009 to 61.5% in 2012.

Gambling participation in Quebec is decreasing, though the proportion of problem gamblers remains stable. Given these findings, allocation of public resources for health care services should be maintained. Secondary and primary prevention efforts need to be initiated or maintained to prevent gambling harm.