Limiting Gambling Ads
A Canadian Senate committee has approved a bill that would establish a national framework to regulate sports advertising in the country. It marks another step forward in addressing widespread concerns about the saturation of gambling promotions across the country.
Bill S-211, titled The National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act, was passed this week by the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications. It is one of the recent attempts to establish consistent national standards for sports betting advertisements, following similar efforts last year.
The bill, sponsored by Hon. Sen. Marty Deacon, seeks to coordinate federal and provincial actions to limit the volume and placement of gambling ads. It will also reduce potential harm to Canadians, particularly minors and vulnerable individuals.
Deacon said during the bill’s introduction that the saturation of sports betting advertisements was an issue that should have been addressed from the outset. She added that it was not an exaggeration to say that it is now nearly impossible to watch a sporting event in Canada without being encouraged to gamble.
The Senate committee passed the bill without debate during a hearing that lasted fewer than 10 minutes. The legislation had previously received its second reading in June and now moves forward to a third reading in the Senate.
A New Framework
According to the bill’s text, the new proposed framework would direct the Minister of Canadian Heritage to develop a standardised approach to regulating sports betting advertising. The framework would include measures to set limits on the location, timing, and content of sports betting advertisements. It would also establish national standards for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of gambling-related harm and addiction.
The bill states that other countries where sports betting is common have developed approaches that restrict related advertising within the public interest. It adds that Parliament recognises the need for a reasonable and standardised framework across Canada. It will aim to reduce the risk of harm that could result from the widespread promotion of gambling activities, particularly among minors and other individuals who may be vulnerable.
Bill S-211 follows a similar initiative to that of Bill S-269, introduced in 2024. This bill passed the Senate but stalled in the House of Commons. It faced pushback from major sports organisations such as the NFL and NHL. They expressed concerns about the implications for existing sponsorship and advertising arrangements.
Public concern over the prevalence of sports betting advertisements has continued to rise. A survey in September by Leger found that six in ten Canadians reported seeing a sports betting advert recently. 75% of those said there were too many such ads, up from 72% at the same time last year. Bill S-211 represents an effort to respond to these public sentiments.
