Public pressure drives Canada to tighten sports betting advertisement rules

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So, Canada’s finally stepping up to create some rules around sports betting ads. Honestly, it’s about time! There’s been a lot of talk about how these ads are getting out of hand, and even the sports leagues themselves were starting to push back. It sounds like they’re building a whole national system to keep things in check.

With growing public worry about the sheer number of sports betting ads and how they affect people, Canada is working on national rules to regulate how these ads are shown. Senator Marty Deacon is leading this effort.

Senator Deacon recently proposed Bill S-211. This comes after a similar bill, S-269, failed to pass. That earlier attempt was halted when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned in January, effectively ending the parliamentary session. Bill S-269, originally introduced in 2023, aimed to create nationwide rules for how and where gambling advertisements could appear.

The proposed new rules would give the Canadian Heritage Minister the responsibility of developing a standard approach to advertising. Last week, the Senate committee dealing with transport and communications had a short discussion about the bill and moved it forward after considering it several times last year.

As a fan, it’s really frustrating seeing so many different rules around advertising for things like sports betting. What we *really* need is one clear, national standard – something like what we have for alcohol or tobacco ads. It just feels like a mess right now, and honestly, the government needs to step up and create that consistent approach.

Senator Marty Deacon in an interview with BBC

Public concern

So, it looks like a lot of other gamers and people in general are getting pretty annoyed with all the gambling ads. I saw a poll last year that said 59% of Canadians actually want to *ban* gambling ads, which is pretty intense. And just last month, another study showed that 75% of people who’ve seen those sports betting ads think there are just way too many of them. Honestly, I can’t say I disagree – it’s getting out of hand!

Although some people have voiced worries, it appears sports betting ads are actually decreasing. ThinkTV, a research group, reported just 189 gambling ads aired in 2024, compared to 442 in 2022, out of a total of 28,000 ads. At the same time, the Canadian Gaming Association and Ad Standards are working together to create a set of voluntary guidelines for how betting companies advertise.

The Canadian Football League (CFL), National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League (NHL) have all publicly opposed Deacon’s bill, expressing concerns about how it could affect their businesses.

Canada’s growing sports betting market

In 2021, Canada made single-event sports betting legal nationwide. This led Ontario, a major market in North America, to launch online sports betting and casino websites. Currently, Ontario is the only province with a fully open commercial online betting market, but Alberta is in the process of creating its own rules.

From the start, Ontario had tough rules about gambling ads, specifically prohibiting the use of athletes and celebrities. In the first year, several gambling companies were fined for breaking these rules, showing that the authorities were actively monitoring and enforcing them.

Canada’s recent actions follow a similar pattern to the U.S., where Senator Paul Tonko has suggested a national prohibition on advertisements for sports betting, though this proposal hasn’t gained much support. Experts warn that completely banning these ads could push people towards illegal betting sites, making it harder to regulate the industry and protect consumers.

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2025-10-16 17:14