Bulletin 3, June 24
This Bulletin is published by the Campaign to Ban Ads for Gambling, a group of individuals interested in securing legislation to ban advertisements for gambling, just as has been done for tobacco and cannabis.
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In this Bulletin:
1. Private members bill in the Senate
2. Sport manipulation conference
3. Our budget
4. The Guardian bans sport gambling ads
5. Subscribe to the Bulletin
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1. Private members bill in the Senate
We are delighted that Senators Marty Deacon and Brent Cotter have introduced a bill in the senate against gambling advertisements. The bill, Bill S-269, An Act respecting a national framework on Advertising for Sports Betting, would require the federal government to develop a framework that would identify measures to regulate and restrict the use of advertising for single-event sports betting. It would also set national standards for the prevention and diagnosis of problem gambling.
Read Bill S-269 and follow its progress through Parliament. Watch the press conference.
The Senate will be adjourning for the summer by the end of the month, so there is no chance that it will be passed before then. But we know there are many senators and Members of Parliament who are very concerned about the sport gambling ads, and they will want to support the bill. One Liberal MP has told us he will try to get the Liberal caucus to adopt it as a government bill when the House resumes meeting in the Fall, and a Conservative MP has told us many of us colleagues would also agree.
Our job is to get the word out to as many MPs as we can in the next few months. We urge you to contact your MP to ask that they get onside. Click on the Get Involved button in the home page of BanAdsForGambling.ca That will take you to a letter you can sign (and you can amend it to say what you would like) and then send to your MP. Please remember to put your name and your email address at the end of your message.
2. Sport Manipulation Conference
Bruce Kidd and John Sewell attended a conference at the end of May by the Canadian Centre for Ethics In Sport which ironically was sponsored by three of the largest sport betting companies. Needless to say, the attempts by Bruce and John to get the conference to address the problem of so many ads producing so much damage to sports was sidelined by the conference organizers, who wanted only to create a national organization to address manipulation of sport outcomes which has become a very pervasive problem.
But some startling information did come out at the conference. According to Shelley White of the Responsible Gaming Council, 5 – 7 per cent of government revenues go to education and responsible betting programs – in Ontario that’s $7 million of $1.5 billion provincial revenue.
The annual amount gambled worldwide is $2.1 trillion. $350 million in Europe, $240 million in North America (expected to substantially increase), $1.4 trillion in Asia. 40 per cent of fans plan to bet on National Football League games. In a 2023 survey, 58 per cent of USA youth surveyed said they placed a bet. Disinformation – such as whether a player is injured or not - is now a critical factor in gambling.
As several speakers noted, betting drives fan engagement, so it is worthwhile to encourage fans to gamble. And gambling is exciting, so that should be encouraged.
Betting companies now have contracts with every professional sports league: NBA, NHL, NFL, Soccer, NASGAR, NBA, ATP. This is a new revenue stream for sport leagues.
But as one speaker noted, if you integrate your sports league with gambling companies, how do you avoid the influence and manipulation that comes with gambling??
Here’s what to expect next: Artificial intelligence betting; Micro bets – for a ball or a strike; off-site and online betting for horse racing in Ontario. (Currently, advertising for horse racing in Ontario is prohibited.)
3. Our Budget for Year One
Administrative expenses:
Web hosting: $390.82
Website creation: $621.50.
Staffing:
Student at 20 hours/week at $400/week,
July 1 – Sept 15: $4000 (research funds cover the period until July 1); Sept 15 – March 15, 10 hours/week at $200/week: $5200
Conference registration: $649.75
Contingency:
(possibly for trips to Ottawa? Lobbying assistance?) $12,000
Total budget for year one:
Estimate $23,000.
Please donate to help us meet our goal.
4. The Guardian bans sport gambling ads
The Guardian media group has decided it will not accept gambling advertisements. Anna Bateson, the chief executive of The Guardian said:
“Guardian journalists have reported on the devastating impact of the gambling industry in the UK and Australia, helping to shift the dial and ensure the issue remains high on the public agenda. Studies highlight a clear correlation between exposure to gambling advertising and increased intentions to engage in regular gambling.”
See: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/15/guardian-bans-all-gambling-advertising
See also our Resources page.
5. Subscribe to the Bulletin
We plan to communicate with supporters on a monthly basis, perhaps more often as the campaign gains momentum. There is no charge for the bulletin, and we will not share subscriber names.