Congressman Spenser Bachus, a leading opponent of online gambling in the United States has been accused by Canadian academics for wrongly citing research into the subject. Bachus told a special hearing of the House Committee on Financial Services that according to a study by McGill University, one third of students who attempt suicide are also regular online gamblers. 

However, one of the researchers into the study, Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky said: “This assertion, which is reportedly based upon our empirical research, is not predicated upon any factual evidence. 'None of the studies conducted with adolescents or college students, to the best of my knowledge, have looked at a connection between Internet wagering and suicide attempts.” 

 Rep. Bachus, as well as online gambling proponents, were contacted by Derevensky by mail, who explained his views on the subject.