How Bill S-269 attempts to regulate sports betting advertisements in Canada 

Olga Steblyk/ Lead Photographer

FanDuel, Bet365, DraftKings and BetMGM are just some of the few sports betting companies and platforms that I’ve now been accustomed to recognizing, I can mention so many more and yet, I don’t even gamble. It’s now become very difficult not to be exposed to any of these betting giants as their ads seem to be found everywhere. From billboards and television to online ads on social media and the internet, the ads run free, proliferating exponentially.   

With algorithms and tailor-made advertising, one might be able to minimize their presence indirectly through search habits and topics that might veer them away. Yet if your passion and interests are sports, be it the NHL, the NBA or the Premier League, such an approach indirectly or even directly seems unavailable. 

This is by design. For years, betting in sports has stood as the Holy Grail for many betting companies, desperate to capitalize on what they see as a promising site for a new gold rush, yet government regulations kept them at bay. This, of course, didn’t deter betting from still taking place as both black and grey markets boomed, allowing bettors on their platforms illegally or through loopholes and technicalities.  

This created an unregulated industry, which was not beholden to individual governments or even the consumers, who were always at risk. In the government’s case, most of the money circulating within this industry was untaxed. The reason being, many of the groups running betting platforms didn’t pay them anything, despite operating within the government’s markets. The power of online betting made these black and grey markets flourish, and many made the argument that legalizing betting in sports would allow governments to at least have better control of the industry, on top of capitalizing on unpaid taxes and revenues that could be funneled into social programs. 

This brings us to today, when online sports betting has now been legitimized with the introduction of (name of act/bill that legitimized it)yet many still argue that more should be done. In Canada, Ontario stands as the only province so far that has fully embraced this new gold rush, setting up its own regulated market where betting companies can advertise their platforms. This regulation, however, is under scrutiny, especially when it comes to how these platforms advertise themselves. Despite its gains, betting was illegal for a reason, particularly when it comes to problem gambling where addictions can form, threatening to destabilize one’s life. With the proliferation of sports betting ads everywhere, other demographics are at risk, especially young men and children. 

The mission to regulate these ads is already underway and has gained traction now that  celebrities are no longer  allowed to advertise sports betting products. Bill S-269 stands as the latest and most substantial addition to this mission. If enacted, limits on advertising will have to be established, thus tackling the ads’ proliferation in hopes of reducing the reach they have and hopefully saving at-risk demographics from encountering the ads. Problem gambling is an issue that’s exacerbated by these ads, so standards to combat it on a national level are crucial. 

Bill-S269 could be the difference, but it is yet to pass and with elections coming up, the dissolution of parliament could risk killing it. 

This article was originally published in print Volume 24, Issue 3 on Thursday, November 7.