Author Examined Canadian Gambling Trends in New Book
Rob Csernyik's new book, A Losing Hand, investigates the impact of gambling across various Canadian provinces.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Gambling
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Author Rob Csernyik released his new book, A Losing Hand, which provides a detailed examination of gambling trends throughout Canada. The work explores the diverse landscape of wagering across different provinces.
Why it matters
The book highlights how gambling access varies significantly by region, noting the different regulatory approaches and potential health outcomes for residents. It draws attention to the contrast between provinces like Ontario, which report significant harms, and others that lack similar data collection.
Newfoundland and Labrador stands as the only province in Canada without a physical casino, though the Atlantic Lottery Corporation has launched an online platform there. Ontario currently reports an observable trend of gambling-related emergency room visits.
The players
Rob Csernyik
Rob Csernyik is the author of A Losing Hand who originates from Cape Breton and investigates gambling industry practices.
Atlantic Lottery Corporation
The Atlantic Lottery Corporation is a regional organization that manages lottery and gaming operations, recently launching an online casino in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The details
In A Losing Hand, Csernyik critiques the expansion of gambling infrastructure, specifically noting the introduction of online services in regions lacking physical venues. The author sought information from provincial officials regarding these expansions to illustrate the broader national picture.
Timeline
The book was released on October 12, 2026.
Culture Shift
The investigation highlights a move toward digitised gaming access that challenges traditional provincial regulatory boundaries. This shift is compared against Ontario's transparent reporting of gambling-related emergency room visits, which serves as a benchmark for assessing public health risks.
Residents in Newfoundland and Labrador may notice a change in access to betting services due to the new online platform. The findings suggest that local authorities currently lack the data systems required to monitor the personal health outcomes associated with this increased availability.
The takeaway
The book serves as a critical resource for understanding how the absence of uniform data collection across provinces obscures the true impact of gambling. Readers are encouraged to consider the availability of support services in their home province when engaging with new online gaming platforms.
Further reading
For more on the regulatory and social environment of wagering, visit the Gambling section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by VOCM.
Live Poll
Should your provincial government prioritize tracking gambling-related health risks before expanding access to gambling platforms?
