1 École de travail social et de criminologie, Université Laval, 1030 avenue des Sciences-Humaines, Québec, Québec, Canada. annie-claude.savard@tsc.ulaval.ca.
2 HERMÈS Research Partnership Team, Montréal, Canada. annie-claude.savard@tsc.ulaval.ca.
3 HERMÈS Research Partnership Team, Montréal, Canada.
4 Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
5 Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
6 École de travail social et de criminologie, Université Laval, 1030 avenue des Sciences-Humaines, Québec, Québec, Canada.
7 Service de recherche en dépendance du CIUSSS de la Capitale Nationale et du CISSS de Chaudière-Appalaches, Québec, Québec, Canada.
8 Département des sciences de la santé communautaire, Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil, Québec, Canada.
9 Departement de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
10 CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal - Montreal Addiction Rehabilitation Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada.

The gambling landscape was profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an increase in online gambling participation. This growth raises concerns about the potential harms associated with online gambling. This qualitative study aims to understand the lived experiences of gamblers whose participation in online gambling increased due to the pandemic. Thematic content analysis was undertaken based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 58 people who reported an increase in their online gambling participation due to the pandemic. Findings are presented according to the three main themes that emerged from the analyses: (1) whether increases in gambling participation during the pandemic were short-term or sustained, (2) characteristics of the gambling environment and operators' practices that shaped this increase, and (3) the role of gambling in the daily lives of gamblers who reported an increase in their gambling participation during the pandemic. Exploration of the lived experiences of gamblers reporting an increase of their online gambling practices during the pandemic raises important issues regarding online gambling environment and gambling operator's practices.