An advertisement for online gambling company FanDuel is displayed during an NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 24. Canada’s Bill S-211 would create a national framework to address sports-betting advertising.Brandon Dill/The Associated Press
For Noah Vineberg, problematic gambling hits close to home. Before he sought help seven years ago, he estimates he gambled more than $1-million. He won some money and lost more, in the process damaging relationships with his wife and four children.
He was able to rebuild those relationships after seeking help at a rehab facility in Windsor, Ont.
A lover of sports, Mr. Vineberg said he has become frustrated with the amount of gambling advertising during broadcasts – including commercials, sponsored segments, commentary on odds and digital ads projected on the playing field. Given his firsthand experience with gambling addiction, he worries about its influence on young or vulnerable populations.
“I would love for sports to just be sports,” he said in an interview, adding he is not against legal gambling itself. “I would love to be able to tune in and actually just watch a hockey game and not once see an ad” related to sports betting.
Noah Vineberg is frustrated with how much gambling advertising is shown during broadcast sports events.Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail
A growing number of experts and legislators want to regulate sports-betting advertising, which has been a prominent part of broadcasts – including during the recent Blue Jays World Series run. Bill S-211, which would create a national framework to address the issue, passed the Senate in September, and recently cleared first reading in the House of Commons.
Canada legalized single-game sports betting in 2021, allowing people to bet on the outcomes of matches and place bets within a game. Proponents said it would reduce the black market and allow provinces, which regulate gambling, to put the revenue back into supporting research, health care and other priorities.
In 2022, Ontario launched iGaming, an internet gambling marketplace that allows private companies to operate. Earlier this month, the province won a legal case to expand to bettors outside of Canada.
Other provinces generally allow online gambling through government-run platforms. Last spring, Alberta passed legislation to allow private companies into its market but it has not yet come into force.
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Toronto Metropolitan University assistant professor Andrew Kim, who studies addictions, said the federal law made sports betting more accessible, while the Ontario decision has led to the flood of advertising, as the private companies are now competing for market share.
There is evidence in the United Kingdom and Australia that “these advertisements do impact future gambling behaviours, and those who are most impacted are those who are vulnerable,” he said in an interview.
A 2024 Mental Health Research Canada survey found that 10 per cent of Canadians have a high risk of problem gambling, while another five per cent have a moderate risk. A 2023 study from CAMH found an association between the expansion of legalized gambling and advertising and the number of people who call a helpline because of online gambling.
Experts are also concerned about how the advertising is affecting children. In September, an editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal urged Canadian jurisdictions to eliminate all commercials that promote sports betting during broadcasts where minors were likely to see them. It recommended the passing of Bill S-211.
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Shawn Kelly, a pediatric addictions specialist and co-author of the editorial, said in an interview that developing teenage brains are particularly vulnerable to the advertising.
Bill S-211 is trying to solve a problem Parliament had a hand in creating, according to sponsor Senator Marty Deacon. The single-game sports betting legislation was rushed because of an impending election, she said, and not enough thought was given to the advertising aspect of it.
“I think it’s our responsibility to try to fix this and fix this as quickly as we can,” she said.
Bill S-211 would mandate that the minister of heritage consult with partners – including provinces – to create a national framework, which would identify measures to regulate sports-betting advertising with a view toward restricting it.
It would also outline ways to promote research and information sharing for youth involved in harmful gambling activities, as well as set national standards on prevention, diagnosis and support.
Advertisements for online sports betting companies BetMGM and DraftKings at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass., on June 18, 2024.Brian Snyder/Reuters
Bill S-211 itself does not set out specific standards, nor what types of advertising are included. Ms. Deacon said partners – mainly provinces – would decide that, as they regulate gambling in their respective jurisdictions.
Possible options for regulations include restricting advertising from the start to finish of games, or only allowing it during certain hours when children are unlikely to be watching.
As well, more than 40 senators recently wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney, urging him to implement a full ban on advertising for sports gambling apps and websites.
The government can do so using the legislative and regulatory tools already at its disposal, according to the letter, including its power to give direction to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which oversees the broadcasting industries.
Ms. Deacon said she supports a full ban, but was worried that putting one in the bill could stall its progress through Parliament. Therefore, the bill has a more open-ended framework that would allow government to introduce a ban.
Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault told senators in September that the government is examining the issue of the advertising and determining the best way to “limit the damage that this is having on too many Canadians.”
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Canadian Gaming Association president Paul Burns said that Bill S-211 is unnecessary and duplicative. Gaming advertising in Canada is already subject to a few layers of oversight and guidance, including provincial regulations, marketing association ThinkTV’s code and the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards.
The provinces can already ban operators from advertising if they wanted to, he said.
Bill S-211 “will take years to produce anything, because it’s now calling for everybody to get together to create a framework,” Mr. Burns said, noting it only covers advertising about sports betting, rather than all gambling.
Mr. Burns also said the current advertising guidelines and regulatory standards are “living documents,” pointing out the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario recently made changes and could make more in the future.
In 2024, the commission banned online operators from running ads that feature athletes and celebrities that could appeal to minors, saying they could only appear in ones that feature responsible gambling messages.
Dr. Kelly said this change was well-intended but ineffective.
“What [my son] sees is ‘Connor McDavid thinks there’s a way for me to gamble safely,’” Dr. Kelly said. “He doesn’t think ‘gambling is bad’ and ‘gambling is dangerous,’ and so we really need to add some teeth to this.”
Mr. Vineberg worries about his children feeling pressure to “keep up with the Joneses” as gambling has become cool now. He said his teenage son is dabbling in it with friends.
“My messaging to my son was: ‘If you ever get to a point where you look at my wallet because you want to be able to still make that bet, that’s when we need to talk,’” he said.