Canadian Senator Pushing to Ban Sports Betting Ads during Broadcasts
A Canadian senator is hoping to enact legislation against sports wagering advertisements after an editorial released today talked about the dangers of these advertisements, according to CBC.
- Bill S-211 was reintroduced following the federal election.
- The editorial states 4% of high school students displayed issue gambling behaviors even before gambling was legislated.
- Ontario's effort to manage sports betting ads didn't have the desired effect.
Deacon was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2018. She represents the Waterloo region of Ontario and has been an outspoken advocate of advertising guidelines within Canada's sports betting industry.
Bill S-211, which was initially presented in 2023, would restrict sports betting commercials during broadcasts most likely to be viewed by minors.
Deacon resubmitted the bill in May after the federal election caused it to lose momentum.
"It's an addictive habits," she stated during a Tuesday interview on The Morning Edition. "It's a terrific health concern."
Canada legalized sports betting in 2021. Its provinces have actually introduced a variety of policies, although there are no overarching guidelines relating to advertising requirements for sportsbook business.
Deacon hopes her expense will be brought before the Senate in full within the next month.
"We need a typical method, a national standard similar to alcohol, similar to tobacco ads, that is not patchwork. And that's why the government has to take the lead on this," Deacon stated.
Gambling impacts on youths
Deacon's latest push for marketing policy begins the back of the release of the editorial, written by the CMAJ medical editor and physician Dr. Shannon Charlebois and pediatrician Dr. Shawn Kelly.
Kelly typically works with victims of compound abuse however also deals with all victims of addiction, including gaming.
Problem betting behaviors can create severe monetary issues for many grownups, though Kelly stated problems can occur even before people are independent.
"The typical story that I see in the clinic is a 13- or 14-year-old kid who has actually borrowed papa's charge card, or mommy's credit card, taken part in some online wagering and lost a substantial amount of cash," he told CBC on Monday.
The editorial also discussed the frequency of problematic behaviors even before betting was officially presented. It stated that a 2019 study of 14,142 Ontario students from Grades 7-12 revealed 4% of high school subjects reported low to moderately serious betting disorders, and 2% reported behavior classified as a gambling dependency.
The post concluded by gaming to theft and attack, often with lethal weapons. It for that reason positioned a focus on protecting youths from giving in to issue betting behaviors.