In 2021, Canadian Senators passed legislation that authorized single-game sports betting. These lawmakers are upset with the amount of sports betting ads that have followed in the years since gaming was legalized. The Senate in Canada provides a “sober second thought” when legislation is being discussed. Recently, some Senators have questioned whether it was right to authorize single-game wagering in 2021.
On Tuesday, Bill S-269 had the first of its two scheduled committee hearings in front of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications in Ottowa. In that two-hour hearing, Senators voiced their frustrations with how sports betting ads are still not being regulated or changed. It’s a serious topic they’re trying to tackle.
What needs to be done for sports betting ads to be regulated in Canada?
Senator Marty Deacon believes they have a chance to fix how sports betting ads are regulated. She was the sponsor of Bill S-269, the National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act. The legislation still needs a National Framework to be developed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage. In this hypothetical framework, they want to limit the number and restrict where sports betting ads can be seen in Canada. Additionally, they want to limit athletes and celebrities who help promote sportsbooks. Parts of Ontario have already started to regulate sports betting ads.
Deacon noted that the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario had banned athletes from most iGaming ads. However, she emphasized how there is a “truck-sized loophole” that still allows athletes to help promote responsible gaming. Senator Deacon had this to say.
“This encourages gambling, and associates them with the brand, which has been empirically proven to appeal to children,” Deacon said. “It has also done nothing to rein in the amount of ads Canadians are seeing nationwide, despite Ontario being the only province where you can legally bet with these companies.”
Senator Deacon is worried about the younger generation being influenced by sports betting ads
In Canada, the regulation of commercial gambling falls to the provinces, not the federal government. However, Senator Deacon is encouraging the federal government to at least try and work together. She wants to set national standards for addiction prevention and diagnosis. Marty Deacon’s bill was introduced in June 2023 and it still has not been passed. That’s left significant doubt as to whether it can get passed and become law.
