Canadian MPs move to curb sports betting ads as gambling harms mount
MPs moving to restrict gambling ads in Canada amid mounting harms
Federal MPs are set to vote on Bill S-211, which would create a national framework restricting gambling advertising across sports broadcasts, social media, and video games. A CBC analysis of seven 2026 NHL playoff games found 3,000 gambling messages — two to three per minute — with 95% carrying no harm-reduction or age information. The push follows data showing problem gambling and gambling-related suicides have risen in Ontario since private online casinos launched in 2022.
We know where this is going, but we're allowing it to happen anyway.
- geooff_
Good riddance. Why did we ever allow this to happen? It's an entirely self-inflicted public health crisis.
- fudged71
Its pretty remarkable what happened as soon as the regulation was loosened. In Alberta it feels as though these companies bought every single ad spot available. I can’t walk, drive, browse in any direction without seeing a gambling ad somewhere. Its not uncommon for me to see them in two or three places simultaneously. A real boring dystopia.
- 1potato
I watch Blue Jays games sometimes. The gambling ads are even more pervasive than in US teams’ games. It really damages the viewing experience.
- chollida1
The big loser in this might be the NHL and the NHLPA(Players association). The NHL salary cap has gone up alot in the past few years and TV is a big driver of that.
It seems like 50% of commercials are for gambling. If this goes away then the networks TV revenue will almost certainly go down and that has the potential to make the NHL TV rights less valuable to the networks.
The NHL wouldn't be alone here but of hte big 4 north American sports it the most exposed here.
- neom
The fact that I can get stuck behind someone at the pharmacy checkout who is buying lotto tickets boggles my mind every time. Personally I think we need to go way further than this, but it's a start.
- bawolff
About time.
I'm fine with gambling existing, but we dont need to manipulate people into doing addictive self-destructive vices they wouldn't already do.
Also the ads are super annoying.
- anukin
Hopefully they ban the neo betting prediction markets as well
- dzonga
they need to be banned in the U.S as well.
every ad these days on TV specially during sports is either gambling, pharma - glp1s, some random medicine with obscene side effects or political ads. & fast-food or fast food delivery sprinkled in.