Canada's Bill S-211 on sports betting advertising nears House of Commons committee vote

Canada's proposed national approach to sports betting advertising is edging toward its final stages. Bill S-211, which cleared the Senate last year, is due to be considered by a House of Commons committee. If the committee approves it next week, the bill is expected to advance to third and final reading.

The legislation would oblige the federal government to develop a national framework on sports betting advertising and to look at ways of reducing gambling-related harm. Supporters stress that it is not a total advertising ban but an attempt to set consistent national standards for betting promotions and consumer protection. The framework could include restrictions on advertising, limits on where and how often ads appear, and possible limits or a ban on the use of celebrities and athletes in promotions. It also calls for national standards on preventing harm and supporting people affected by gambling addiction, as well as research and information-sharing among governments and stakeholders.

Before presenting the framework, the Minister of Canadian Heritage would have to consult provincial governments, health experts, gambling regulators, Indigenous organisations, researchers and industry stakeholders. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) would be required to review its existing rules and policies on sports betting advertising and assess whether they reduce harm linked to the growth of betting marketing. The Minister would need to report within one year of the bill becoming law, setting out the framework and a plan for implementing it, with a follow-up report within five years evaluating what has been done and how effective it has been.

Bill sponsor Bardish Chagger has said restrictions are needed, telling CBC News: "People are being impacted in a very harmful way. They are losing their livelihoods, they're losing their homes, they're losing their savings, they're losing their lives." The bill was first introduced in the Senate by Marty Deacon, amid a wider debate over the visibility of betting ads since single-event sports betting became legal in Canada.

Not every province is on board. Ontario and Alberta argue that gambling advertising is already regulated provincially. Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey has said the province should keep responsibility for ads in its own market, pointing to the advertising rules and consumer protections introduced when its regulated online market opened in 2022. Earlier this year, MPP Lee Fairclough also introduced Bill 107, the Stop Harmful Gambling Advertising Act, which would prohibit online gambling operators and their business partners from running promotional campaigns in Ontario. Alberta, which opened its market this summer, has warned through Minister Dale Nally that the bill could create a two-tier regulatory structure and affect future provincial gambling revenues.