Overview

• An editorial published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal calls for restrictions on sports betting promotion that doctors say normalize gambling for children.
• Authors Dr. Shannon Charlebois and Dr. Shawn Kelly argue that Ontario’s 2022 legalization of iGaming effectively turned smartphones into betting platforms, increasing youth access.
• Clinicians report beginning to screen young patients for gambling behaviour and warn that age checks and ID verification do not reliably stop motivated adolescents.
• The editorial cites research linking problem gambling to severe harms, including elevated suicide risk, and highlights unlimited ad placement, in-venue branding and betting segments during broadcasts.
• The authors urge limits on ads during games and removal from youth-used social platforms, using Bill S-211 to set national standards, while the Canadian Gaming Association counters that TV gambling ads comprise a small share and emphasizes education.