Gambling Weekly News Summary in Canada – 2025/09/20
Waterloo Senator Speaks Out Against Sports Betting Advertisements After Report from Canadian Medical Association
A senator in Waterloo has spoken out against sports betting advertisements and hopes to push her legislation after an editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal discussed the effects on young people.
Senator Marty Deacon has proposed Bill S-211, which calls for the elimination of advertisements for sports betting platforms where minors are likely to see them, similar to frameworks already set for alcohol and tobacco advertisements.
The proposed rules could include limiting and banning celebrities and athletes from advertisements and limiting the number of ads that can be shown in specific locations or broadcasts.
“We need a common approach, a national standard similar to alcohol, similar to tobacco ads, that is not patchwork. And that’s why the government has to take the lead on this,” Deacon said.
Senator Deacon has been proposing similar legislation since 2023 and hopes to bring it to the Senate in early October.
CGA responds to CMAJ’s calls for stricter gambling advertisement restrictions
The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) has responded to an editorial written in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), which claims advertisements from gambling companies are affecting young people, and calls for a national framework to be put into place.
In the response, the CGA claimed that safeguarding frameworks already exist, which include over 20 requirements concerning gambling advertising.
It also claimed that the number of gambling adverts is decreasing, and that the numbers in the CMAJ editorial were overstated. Figures from a study commissioned by the CGA and Media Radar/Vixxi found that gambling advertisement expenditures decreased by 1% between 2023 and 2024, and online gambling made up only 5% of total TV ad spend.
The CGA statement read, “While gambling can have risks, its impact depends on regulation and individual circumstances. As gambling becomes more embedded in digital platforms and everyday experiences, oversight and regulation are important to reduce potential harm. The CGA has encouraged provincial governments to strengthen regulatory frameworks to address issues related to unlicensed operators.”
The CMAJ is not the first to discuss the impacts of gambling advertisements. In June, Senator Marty Deacon reintroduced Senate Bill S-211, which aims to regulate gambling ads to a national standard, like alcohol and tobacco.
Americans Are Placing More Sports Bets Than Canadians, According to New Study
A study conducted by Leger has found that Canadians are less likely to place sports bets than Americans. The results of 1,621 participants showed that 19% of Canadians have placed sports bets in the past year, compared to 26% of Americans.
These results represent a decrease from the previous year, which showed 21% of Canadians and 30% of Americans had placed bets.
There was also a vast difference in how the two countries place bets, with 39% of Americans reporting having participated in live bets, compared to 22% of Canadians, and Americans overall participating in alternative forms of betting such as fantasy leagues, micro, exchange, and eSport betting.
The sports people choose to place bets on differ greatly. The NHL is the main sport for Canadian bettors, with 41% of respondents reporting betting on the NHL in the last year and 32% participating in NHL fantasy leagues.
In comparison, the NFL was the popular choice for American bettors, with 59% reporting placing bets on the league in the past year, and 52% participating in fantasy football leagues.
Ziv (Steve) Chen
CEO at Major League Content
Ziv has been working in the iGaming industry for more than two decades, serving in senior roles in software developers like Playtech and Microgaming. He then followed his lifelong passion of writing and became a fulltime journalist, covering casinos, sports betting, legislation and other gambling topics and news with a specialty in North America.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziv-steve-chen-94b01b5/
