The West Coast’s expanding private gambling landscape has prompted one of the region’s largest mental health and addiction facilities to open a dedicated inpatient programme for gambling disorder in North Saanich.
Homewood Health’s Ravensview centre, which has provided inpatient care since 2019, announced the new specialised gambling disorder programming in March to address what the organisation describes as a critical gap in treatment options. The centre operates with dozens of beds and typically offers inpatient treatment spans of six to nine weeks, according to facility managers.
Why the service was added
Program leaders say gambling addiction presents distinct clinical challenges compared with other substance and behavioural addictions. While many people gamble without harm, some become vulnerable to repetitive, compulsive behaviour that can produce intense emotional highs and dissociative episodes.
“It’s really a way to escape and go into almost a different dimension for some folks where the way that they’re thinking and they’re feeling in their body and their emotions and their focus is very different than when they’re not engaging in that,”
said Craig Extine, manager of clinical operations at Ravensview, describing the subjective experience that can accompany problem gambling. He added that a win — whether at a casino or on a sports bet — can create an immediate brain rush, comparable in its reinforcing effect to other addictive behaviours.
Complications and community impact
Treatment for gambling disorder is complicated by the financial consequences often accompanying the addiction and by co‑occurring conditions such as mental illness, trauma or other substance use disorders. Historically, gambling disorder has been associated with some of the highest suicide rates among addictive disorders, an alarming marker for clinicians and public-health planners.
Recent research from Ontario points to rapid changes where private online gambling expanded: outreach to a provincial mental-health helpline from young men seeking gambling-related support rose by more than 300 per cent, and active online gambling accounts per capita grew by 239 per cent in under three years. Those figures were cited by Ravensview staff as context for the new inpatient offering.
- Where: Homewood Health’s Ravensview centre, North Saanich
- When: Centre opened inpatient services in 2019; gambling-specific programming launched in March
- Length of stay: Typical inpatient treatment ranges from six to nine weeks
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ravensview centre operating since | 2019 |
| Gambling programme launch | March (this year) |
| Inpatient stay | 6–9 weeks |
| Ontario study highlights | +300% helpline outreach; +239% accounts per capita |
What this means for residents
The new programme expands regional capacity for complex gambling-treatment cases that previously might have required outpatient supports or travel to other jurisdictions. For families and clinicians in Saanich and Greater Victoria, having a nearby inpatient option may shorten wait times and provide a more intensive environment for assessment and therapy.
Ravensview’s approach recognises that gambling harm is not limited to financial loss. Staff emphasise integrated care that addresses mental-health issues, trauma histories and concurrent addictions as part of treatment planning.
As private and online betting continues to grow, health providers and municipalities face pressure to match clinical capacity with rising demand. For residents concerned about a loved one or seeking help, the centre’s specialised programme adds an inpatient option tailored specifically to gambling disorder within the region.
Further details about referral pathways and programme specifics were not released in the centre’s initial announcement. Community mental-health partners and primary-care providers are expected to share more information with patients and families as the service becomes fully operational.
