The Responsible Gaming Council (RGC) of Ontario, Canada has released the results of a study designed to gauge how many Ontarians are spending money to play poker online, and whether or not new guidelines to control problem gambling, or, curbing the accessibility of online casino gaming is in due order. The study specifically targeted online gaming statistics for the year 2005, and was used to compare these findings to the previous year's numbers.

The polling, which was conducted by means of a random telephone survey during the spring months of 2006, used the findings of 1,003 respondents - all who were over the legal gambling age of eighteen. Albeit this is a rather small polling, in terms of statistical findings, the results of the survey are considered to be within a 3% accuracy range. The survey determined that one out of every five Ontario citizens participated in real money poker games in 2005.

An increase in the ratio of real-money gambling participants was primarily attributed to young adults aged 18 to 24 years old. Within this age range, an increase of 1.4 percent from the previous year, determined that 5.5 percent of young adults were playing online poker and potentially other casino games. In statistical terms, this increase amounts to 400%, which the Responsible Gambling Council thinks is cause for concern.

Dr. Jon Kelly, who is the CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council in Ontario, referred to this age group as the one which has the most likelihood of developing problem gambling habits and addictions as a direct result of unhindered access to online casinos and poker rooms. Coupling this trend with the newfound evidence that young adults are indeed spending the most time playing online poker, and that poker often serves as a gateway to playing other online casino games, has Kelly pondering if more should be done to educate Ontario's young adults about internet gambling.