Ottawa, June 20th 2023 – A new Senate bill would force the federal government to rein in rampant sports betting advertising to prevent destructive gambling habits from taking hold and ruining lives.
Senator Marty Deacon introduced Bill S-269, An Act respecting a national framework on Advertising for Sports Betting, in the Senate on Tuesday, June 20th. The bill would require the federal government to develop a framework that would identify measures to regulate and restrict the use of advertising for single-event sports betting. It would also set national standards for the prevention and diagnosis of problem gambling.
Single-game sports betting has been legal in Canada since 2021, though only Ontario has allowed for a private betting market so far. A steady stream of celebrities and sports heroes have since flooded the airwaves to urge Canadians to put their money at risk, including influential former and current NHL superstars like Wayne Gretzky, Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.
Meanwhile, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has said it is proposing to prohibit the use of athletes and celebrities from internet gambling advertising in Ontario.
A rigorous framework setting out strong measures to regulate sports betting advertising is timely and needed before this influx of ads gives rise to a generation of problem gamblers.
Quick Facts
- Senator Deacon is a former educator, coach and builder of sports from playground to podium who has served on the Canadian Olympic Committee and as a board member Commonwealth Sport Canada
- Senator Brent Cotter, a former law professor who is one of Canada’s foremost legal ethicists, supports Bill S-269 and assisted in its drafting.
- Bill C-218, Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, which received Royal Assent in June 2021, allowed for the creation of legal single-event sports betting.
Quotes
“The advertising of sports betting has gotten out of hand. Every television sports broadcast is saturated with ads that often feature popular celebrities and athletes. This encourages young people to emulate the behaviour of their idols as well as normalizes gambling as part of the culture of sport.”
– The Honourable Marty Deacon, Senator for Ontario
“Sports betting advertisements are relentless, ubiquitous and create risks for people who may be vulnerable to gambling addictions. This bill seeks to initiate the development of a regulatory framework that can limit this advertising in a principled way.”
– The Honourable Brent Cotter, Senator for Saskatchewan
Associated Links
- Read Bill S-269 and follow its progress through Parliament:
- Watch press conference
- Subscribe to email alerts for Senate committees.
- Sign up for the Senate eNewsletter.
For more information:
Michael Delaney
Director of Parliamentary Affairs | Office of the Honourable Marty Deacon
613-618-3795 | michael.delaney@sen.parl.gc.ca