Overview
- An editorial published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal calls for immediate restrictions on sports-betting advertising and for the federal government to expedite Bill S-211 to create a national regulatory framework.
- Physicians say gambling promotions saturate sports broadcasts and that Ontario’s 2022 iGaming expansion effectively turned smartphones into betting platforms that youth can access or see promoted.
- Clinicians cite research linking problem gambling in minors to serious harms, including elevated suicide risk, and note surveys showing pre-existing urges and symptoms among students and rising online gambling activity in B.C.
- Doctors warn that age gates and identity checks do not reliably block motivated adolescents, with reports of teens using parents’ credit cards to place online wagers.
- The Canadian Gaming Association counters that online gambling ads comprise roughly two percent of TV ads and about five percent of TV ad spend, argues recent NHL broadcasts saw a decline, and promotes education and responsible advertising over new limits.