The World Series is in full swing and so too is a barrage of sports gambling ads. The federal senator who represents Waterloo Region is leading a push to restrict when and where those advertisements are allowed. “We need to get back to the table and we need to fix this,” said Sen. Marty Deacon. She noted the frequently the ads when the Toronto Blue Jays were playing in the Fall Classic. “For young people, it’s a form of addictive behaviour often associated with perhaps some other issues and challenges, and particularly for young boys and men between the ages of 14 and 24. It’s really quite addictive,” Deacon said. Her bill, the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act, would bring forward a national strategy to regulate gambling ads shown around a sporting event. “Let’s say it’s whistle-to-whistle. That means five minutes before a whistle starts a game to five minutes after the whistle is over, there’s no advertising permitted. Maybe it’s a time of day. Maybe the advertising shouldn’t be starting until after 10:00 at night,” she suggested. Last week, the bill passed a third reading unanimously in the Senate. It still must go through multiple readings in the House of Commons to become law, but the bill is gaining traction. For now, the ads fall under provincial jurisdiction. The OLG sent the following statement to CTV News. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is also seeking to build safer gambling spaces. “The AGCO has established some of the strongest iGaming advertising and promotional regulations in North America,” a statement to CTV News said. “These include important measures that prevent gaming operators from targeting vulnerable individuals or using athletes in advertising, except for encouraging responsible gaming. The AGCO is committed to a safer gambling environment for Ontarians and continues to work with all partners and stakeholders to that end.” It’s not just baseball that has gotten tied up in the world of gambling. The NBA has begun a review of how the league can protect the integrity of the game after the FBI arrested current and former players and coaches for their roles in alleged gambling schemes. Last year, the AGCO restricted gambling ads that featured athletes and celebrities. “But these ads are all over the country so it’s quite something to be in B.C. or in the North and seeing these ads with celebrities, truly, from coast-to-coast-to-coast,” said Deacon. If the bill passes, it will have major implications for sporting events and networks that have partnerships with sportsbooks. It’s something Deacon wants to get ahead of with the FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympic Games next year.
