Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare renamed its Windsor-based Centre for Problem Gambling and Digital Dependency the Ontario Centre for Problem Gambling on August 25, 2026. The announcement followed the program’s 300th residential treatment cycle.

The new name is intended to clarify the program’s province-wide role for patients, families and healthcare providers. Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare said the change does not affect patient care, services or access procedures.

Residential and outpatient treatment

The Ontario Centre for Problem Gambling provides specialized support for people affected by gambling problems and digital dependency. Its services include residential treatment and outpatient counselling.

The residential program serves clients from communities across Ontario. The centre is the province’s only funded gambling-specific residential treatment program, according to Windsor News Today.

Existing referral procedures remain in place. Healthcare providers and other referring partners can continue using their current workflows.

Demand has grown alongside online gambling

The renaming follows a period of increased demand for gambling-related support in Ontario. A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal examined 745,716 contacts with ConnexOntario, the province’s mental health and addictions helpline, between January 2012 and September 2025.

Researchers identified 37,087 gambling-related contacts. The average age was 39, and 68.2 per cent of contacts involved men. Between April 2022 and September 2025, 76 per cent of gambling-related contacts concerned online gambling.

  • 745,716 total ConnexOntario contacts examined
  • 37,087 gambling-related contacts identified
  • 39 years, the average age of people making gambling-related contacts
  • 68.2 per cent of gambling-related contacts involving men
  • 76 per cent of contacts between April 2022 and September 2025 involving online gambling

The study found that gambling-related contact rates rose after Ontario launched PlayOLG in January 2015. Rates increased again after the province opened its private online gambling market in April 2022.

The researchers cautioned that helpline contacts do not directly measure the prevalence of gambling disorder. The figures may also reflect greater public awareness of available support. They show, however, that more people sought help as online gambling became more accessible.

A province-wide identity

Bill Marra, president and chief executive of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, said the new name reflects the program’s reach beyond Windsor.

“Renaming our program to the Ontario Centre for Problem Gambling accurately reflects our role as a trusted provincial leader while strengthening clarity for patients, families, and referring healthcare partners,” Marra said in a statement reported by Windsor News Today.

Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare said the program has operated for more than 30 years and supported more than 1,400 people. Its residential and outpatient services will now operate under one provincial name, while the Windsor location remains unchanged.

People seeking gambling-related support in Ontario can contact the centre at 519-254-2112. ConnexOntario also provides free, confidential and round-the-clock information and referral services across the province.