No more sports betting ads in Canada?
That's what one Senator is looking to get done.
Independent Senator Marty Deacon (Waterloo region, Ontario) hopes to gain momentum for her Bill S-211, which would eliminate all commercials that promote Canada sports betting during broadcasts where minors are likely to be watching.
The sudden push for her legislation, which was actually introduced two years ago, comes after an editorial piece in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) published earlier this week saying that these commercials could harm young people.
The editorial highlighted problematic behaviors even before gambling was formally introduced. It said that a 2019 survey of 14,142 Ontario students from Grades 7-12 showed 4% of high school subjects reported low to moderately severe gambling disorders, and 2% reported behavior classified as a gambling addiction.
Its final conclusion linked youth gambling to theft and assault, sometimes with deadly weapons, placing an emphasis on protecting youths from giving in to problem gambling behaviors.
Deacon had resubmitted the bill back on May 28 entitled "National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Bill" and had undergone a second reading on June 3 before debate had been adjourned. She is looking for the bill to be brought to the Senate in its entirety in October.
Sports betting has been legal in Canada since 2021.
