Senator Percy Downe of Charlottetown and Senator Marty Deacon of Waterloo have addressed the Prime Minister, urging him to put a ban on betting advertising, as it has created a public health concern. 40 more senators have supported the plan of banning betting advertising, as they stress how the volume of these ads is huge,
Senator Percy Downe of Charlottetown and Senator Marty Deacon of Waterloo have addressed the Prime Minister, urging him to put a ban on betting advertising, as it has created a public health concern.
40 more senators have supported the plan of banning betting advertising, as they stress how the volume of these ads is huge, citing CBC Marketplace findings that show that gambling ads take 21% of a sports broadcast’s runtime. Other findings show that fans see gambling ads around three times per minute.
Senator Downe mentioned that the situation worsened after passing Bill C-218 in 2021, which legalized single-event sports betting. After the bill, platforms started offering bets on smaller-scale events, and this led to people gambling and placing more wagers, which created negative consequences for public health.
Many mental health professionals have also been vocal about this issue and have expressed concern. Elizabeth Stephen, who is a counselling therapist, mentioned observing a rise in betting ads during sports events, which influences young people’s decision-making. Stephen’s clients have mentioned having difficulties watching sports events because of the volume of betting ads that trigger them.
Political support for the ban is growing, as Charlottetown MP Sean Casey expressed his agreement with the senators’ plan. Casey pointed to Bill S-211, which is now in progress and aims to establish a national framework for sports betting advertising.
The senators believe that strong action is required against betting advertising, mentioning that although personal vulnerabilities cannot be eliminated, regulations can at least prohibit companies from exploiting them.