Bulletin No. 12, July 15, 2024
We are pleased to provide this update on our campaign to secure legislation that will prohibit advertisements for gambling, just as legislation now prohibits ads for tobacco and cannabis. We conclude this update with suggested actions you could take to help push this matter along.
Further information on these items can be found in our website: BanAdsForGambling.ca
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In this Bulletin:
1. Maru Public Opinion Poll
2. Bill S-269
3. The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport Draft Policy
4. The Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse and Addiction: Report
5. Complaints Lodged with The Alcohol and Gaming Commission
6. Petitioning Government
7. iGaming Ontario Revenue Q3 2023
8. Tim Dewhirst: OpEd
9. BAFG White Paper No. 2
10. Taking Action
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1. Maru Public Opinion Poll
A recent poll conducted by Maru Public Opinion found that 75 per cent of respondents believe there’s a need to protect youth from these kinds of ads, while 62 per cent believe sports betting owners are not acting responsibly with their ads.
2. Bill S-269
Bill S-269, The National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act was referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Transportation and Communications on May 9, and the first set of public hearings was held in early June.
Bruce Kidd presented on behalf of BanAdsforGambling.ca. His speech can be found on our web site. Jean-Francois Crepault of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health summarized CAMH’s recent report; he said CAMH generally believes a complete ban on advertisements is the preferable course of action.
Steve Joordens, Professor of Psychology at University of Toronto, Scarborough, spoke on behalf of the Canadian Psychological Association, arguing that gambling ads push people into addiction.
Raffaello Rossi, a Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Bristol, noted that his research shows that gambling ads which adults find boring often appeal to young people, and suggested this was a deliberate strategy of the international gambling companies to get youth interested in gambling.
Senator Paula Simon of Alberta made the point that Alberta, like other provinces, seems addicted to gambling. As a journalist, she had found that the costs of gambling outweighed revenues to the government. Other senators also made good points or asked strong questions, including Donna Dasko, Roger Cuzner, and Marty Deacon (the sponsor of the Bill) as well as the chair, Julie Mirveille-DeChene. A link to the video of the committee’s session can be found in our Bulletin No. 11.
While we have had many encouraging responses, to date no one in the Trudeau Government has been willing to introduce a public bill to ban gambling in the House of Commons. Nor have we found any MP willing to file a private member's bill there. That said, we are optimistic that when the Senate bill arrives there, the issue will be addressed by the Government.
The Senate has adjourned for the summer, and hearings and speakers in September have not yet been set. Our objective is to get the Bill adopted by the Senate and then forwarded to the House of Commons for consideration.
3. The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport Draft Policy
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport released its draft policy for match fixing – a major issue for sports in most parts of the world. We proposed several changes, including that the Criminal Code be amended to prohibit match fixing and that all sports organizations be required to sign onto the policy.
Ban Ads for Gambling has discussed with several federal ministries the need for the federal government to intervene in this issue before the FIFA World Cup soccer matches in Canada next year.
4. The Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse and Addiction: Report
The Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse and Addiction has recently issued a report on the dangers of gambling. It has found that since legalization of widespread gambling with the 2021 amendment to the Criminal Code, there has been a substantial increase in gambling participation and increased gambling-related harms. The volume of gambling advertisements repeatedly pairing sports with betting and featuring celebrity endorsements “normalizes” gambling, leading people to think of betting as an integral part of sports and by extension a healthy, “normal” behaviour. This normalization is especially a concern for youth and young adults who are at greater risk of harm. CCSA recommends we need a pan-Canadian strategy to deal with these issues.
Ban Ads for Gambling notes that although celebrities are now restricted in their ability to endorse gambling In Ontario, their Involvement in ads to promote so-called "responsible gambling" still has the effect of normalizing gambling and promoting It, especially to young people.
5. Complaints Lodged with The Alcohol and Gaming Commission
Ban Ads for Gambling has filed several complaints with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. One complaint dealt with ads in arenas frequented by young people. The AGCO negotiated with the owner of these arenas, and the ads have been removed from the boards, locker rooms, and hallways of the arenas.
6. Petitioning Government
We have reached out to Members of Parliament in the hope that the issue might find its way quickly before the House of Commons. While we have had many encouraging responses, to date no one in the Trudeau Government has been willing to introduce a public bill in the House of Commons to ban gambling. Nor have we found any MP willing to file a private member's bill there. That said, we are optimistic that when the Senate bill arrives there, the issue will be addressed by the Government.
We have been unable to get any response from the Ontario government to our requests to meet and discuss our concerns, even though it is the body which has been at the centre of the vast expansion of gambling and gambling ads since 2021.
7. iGaming Ontario Revenue Q3 2023
In the third quarter of last year, iGaming Ontario reports that total wagers were $17.2 billion, a 21% increase over Q2, and total gaming revenue was $658 million, a 22% increase. More than one million player accounts were active with an average monthly spend per active player account of $186.
8. Tim Dewhirst: Op-Ed
Tim Dewhirst, one of our steering committee members, noted in an opinion piece on July 4 in the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business, that the helmets of Edmonton Oiler players featured advertising for Play Alberta, the gambling site overseen by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis organization. More than 300,000 Albertans had signed up at Play Alberta during the Stanley Cup finals, and there is no question that many young people in Alberta watched those games.
9. BAFG White Paper No. 2
Our White Paper No. 2 was released in May, showing that the focus on “responsible gambling” which governments take is misdirected and ineffective.; see BAFG White Paper #2 — BanAdsForGambling.ca. While the individual and social costs of gambling are widespread and difficult to estimate, experts in the field agree that they far exceed the revenue that governments may receive from legally registered gambling businesses. What’s needed is for governments to take a public health approach and stop the practices which cause harm rather than just asking people to look after themselves.
There is in Ontario only one inpatient centre to address gambling addiction (at the Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor), and as reported in the Globe and Mail on July 5, it has seen a very serious increase in addictions. Staff single out online sports betting as the biggest problem because of the number of ads which normalize the practice.
10. Taking Action
* If you are a Member of Parliament, we urge you to talk with your colleagues about introducing a private member's bill to ban ads for gambling, just as Parliament has banned ads for tobacco and cannabis.
* If you are a member of the public, we urge you to ask members of your municipal council and school board to adopt a resolution asking Parliament to ban ads for gambling, and have the motion sent to the Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition. Supporters should also press members of Parliament to push the Government to introduce a public bill to ban ads for gambling.
* If you are a member of a government ministry, we ask you to take action to get your ministry active on this file.
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