Gambling trajectories among sexual and gender minority individuals in Canada: protocol for a 5-year mixed-methods longitudinal study

Background Gambling encompasses all activities that involve betting or wagering money. It is highly prevalent both in Canada and worldwide. While most individuals gamble without experiencing harm, some develop problem gambling, which is associated with serious psychological, relational and financial outcomes. Sexual and gender diversity (SGD) populations experience disproportionately high rates of mental health disorders, although little is known about their gambling trajectories. Knowledge in this regard is mainly based on cross-sectional studies, with no longitudinal evidence being available internationally. This gap in the literature restricts understanding of how problematic gambling emerges and evolves among SGD populations. It also limits the development of prevention and harm reduction strategies tailored to their realities. Methods and analysis This five-year longitudinal study will use a mixed-methods explanatory and sequential design in two phases. The first phase is a prospective cohort study. A self-report questionnaire will be administered online via a web panel to Canadian residents who are 18 years of age or older, self-identify as SGD and have gambled at least once in the previous 12 months (n=2500). This survey will be repeated annually over the course of three years to describe respondents’ gambling habits, model their trajectories and identify factors associated with problematic gambling. The second phase is a descriptive qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with respondents from phase 1 who present problematic gambling (n=40) to explore their experiences and lived realities. Ethics and dissemination This research project has been ethically and scientifically approved by the Research Ethics Committee and by the CIUSSS de l’Estrie—CHUS scientific evaluation committee on November 3, 2025 (reference number: 2026-6060 Trajectoires-JHA-LGBTQ). For all phases of the study, written or verbal consent will be obtained from each participant. A copy of the consent form and contact information will be sent to each participant.