Canadian broadcaster Rick Campanelli disclosed a past gambling addiction on September 1, 2026, as his memoir Tempted: My Story launched in Canada. He said treatment through the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and support from Gamblers Anonymous have helped him manage the addiction for about 17 years.

Campanelli’s disclosure does not change gambling rules. It adds a public account to a wider debate about youth exposure, online access and the limits of existing safeguards.

A public warning shaped by recovery

Campanelli told CityNews that his gambling began with an intense desire to win contests. He said the fixation later developed into gambling that affected his finances and personal life.

He described treatment at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and support from Gamblers Anonymous as part of his recovery. He said those experiences motivated him to publish the memoir as a warning about gambling-related harm.

In an interview with Zoomer, Campanelli said he still places limited sports wagers. He said he manages the risk through openness with his wife. His account presents recovery as an ongoing process rather than a single event.

Why younger Canadians are central to the debate

Online gambling is available through phones, websites and betting apps. Betting is also linked to sports, social media and digital entertainment. That can make exposure easier to miss, particularly within families.

Research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found that gambling-related activity can affect adolescents before they reach the legal gambling age. A study of students in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador found that:

  • 42 per cent had gambled for money or something of value in the previous three months.
  • Adolescents who gambled both online and offline had higher problem-gambling scores.

The study does not establish a current national rate. It does show the connection between access patterns and higher risk among young people.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health also reported that social casino games were associated with higher participation in monetary gambling among surveyed adolescents. The findings came from the 2012-13 Youth Gambling Survey and do not provide a current national estimate.

Ontario’s safeguards apply to adults only

Ontario’s regulated internet gaming market is open to people aged 19 and older. Operators must use identity checks and provide tools such as:

  • Spending limits.
  • Time limits.
  • Short-term breaks.
  • Self-exclusion.

In May 2026, iGaming Ontario launched BetGuard, a centralized service that allows adults to opt out of all regulated online gaming platforms in the province. It can block account access, prevent new accounts and stop direct marketing for the selected exclusion period.

These controls do not make gambling available to minors. They also do not remove risks linked to informal betting, unregulated websites, gambling-themed games or betting advertising.

iGaming Ontario advises players to use sites offered by registered and approved operators. Complaints about regulated sites should first go through the operator’s customer process. Concerns about responsible gambling, advertising or suspected illegal activity can be directed to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

Prevention efforts target young adults

The Responsible Gambling Council launched a national public-service campaign in April 2026 for young adults aged 19 to 24. The campaign was funded through Ontario’s Responsible Internet Gambling Fund, which transfers C$3 million a year from provincial iGaming revenue to harm-prevention work.

The council said the campaign addresses early exposure and the normalization of gambling, particularly among young men. It also reported that previous prevention campaigns reached millions of people through broadcasters, sports partnerships and digital platforms.

Campanelli’s disclosure adds a personal account to that policy debate. His message is not that every bettor will develop an addiction. It is that gambling problems can remain hidden while a person continues to work, maintain relationships and appear successful in public.

Where help is available

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health provides problem-gambling treatment for adults and accepts self-referrals through Access CAMH. It also offers support for families and treatment related to problematic technology use among people aged 16 to 25.

  • Access CAMH: 416-535-8501, press 2.
  • Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-888-230-3505.
  • BetGuard allows Ontario residents to opt out of regulated online gambling across the province.

Campanelli’s memoir does not alter Canada’s gambling rules. It has renewed a practical question for regulators and health agencies: whether player protections are keeping pace with the speed and reach of online gambling.