“Strict rules”? Minimally regulated markets.
Our response to The Globe and Mail's claim that Ontario and Alberta have ‘strict rules’ for gambling advertising ā submitted in July 2026 but not published.
July 2026
Dear Letters:
Re: ‘Alberta opens regulated online gaming market’, July 14.
Reporter Dan Ralph writes that ‘like Ontario, Alberta has strict rules for advertising, marketing and promotions to ensure operators are not targeting minors or high-risk individuals.’ Under what rock is Mr. Ralph hiding? In Ontario, ads for sports betting and other forms of online gambling can be seen on every medium, at any time of day, and continually at live events like Jays, Leafs, and Tempo games. Thousands of children and youth see those ads. The Canadian Pediatric Society reports that underage gambling is common in Canada and can start as young as 9 or 10. The Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction recently estimated that 69.4% of youth 18–29 who gamble online met the criteria for problem gambling.
Psychologists characterize the ads as ‘engineered addiction’. They groom children and youth into a lifetime of dependency.
It would be more accurate to say that Ontario and now Alberta operate minimally regulated markets.
Sincerely,
Bruce Kidd
Campaign to Ban Ads for Gambling