Ban gambling ads in Manitoba.

May 24, 2023

Hon. Andrew Smith, MLA
Minister of Municipal Relations and
Minister Responsible for the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation
Government of Manitoba
317 Legislative Building, 450 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB  R3C 0V8

Dear Minister Smith:

We write as Canadians deeply concerned about the harms to health and mental health created and exacerbated by the advertising for sports betting and other forms of gambling. See BanAdsForGambling.ca.

We ask you to direct the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation to (1) ban all advertising for gambling in Manitoba and (2) prohibit all sports betting companies in Manitoba from organizing bets on Olympic, amateur, or educational sports events or any participants in such events. We understand that you have the legislative authority to do so.

As the research makes clear, sport gambling can lead to significant harm, including runaway debt, stress to families, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and even suicide — among other documented economic, health and social issues that negatively affect Canadians. The American Psychiatric Association classifies addiction to gambling a ‘Gambling disorder’, the only non-substance-related disorder so classified. Statistics Canada recently reported that 1.6% of adult gamblers in Canada, or 304,400 persons, are at moderate to high risk of gambling disorders, including mental health issues.

Gambling ads — in both content and frequency — are particularly enticing to adolescents and other vulnerable persons, especially those struggling with gambling addiction. It is estimated that 10% of the audience for sports on television is made up of children and youth under 18. The Australian Gambling Research Institute has reported that ‘research into the advertising of other harmful products suggests advertising increases uptake and consumption, especially in the adolescent starter market.’ A recent study in Public Health (ScienceDirect) found that advertising policies could reduce gambling-related harms.

The Canadian Mental Health Association—Ontario has called for a complete ban on advertising for gambling. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has called for a ban on television advertising for sports gambling.

It is important to recognize that when the Parliament of Canada legalized sports betting in 2021, no consideration was given to the harms created by sports betting, despite the overwhelming evidence of such harms documented in other countries with which Canada shares information.

While we accept the legalization of single-sport betting as preferable to its black-market operation, we believe such legalization should be strictly limited and regulated.

The exhortation to gamble demeans the spirit of sport. Instead of the athleticism, kinaesthetic beauty, ethical values, intercultural respect and communal spirit of sports, sports betting reduces meaning to whether a team or a play achieves a point spread or a within-game parley is made. Athletes in sports where betting is allowed are increasingly being subjected to abusive pressure placed on them by gamblers through the social media.

While the Gambling and Liquor Amendment Act of Manitoba requires the gambling companies to include responsible gambling messages in their advertisements, and they are prohibited from targeting minors, we see no evidence that children and youth are not affected. That is why the Winnipeg Free Press called for the restriction of such advertisements in its editorial on May 1.

We strongly urge you to take the necessary steps to protect the health of Manitobans and Manitoba sports.

Thank you for your consideration.

With best wishes,

Robin Campbell, LLB and volunteer sports leader
Joel Finlay, MPH, OLY
Gretchen Kerr, PhD, dean of kinesiology and physical education, University of Toronto
Bruce Kidd, O.C., PhD, OLY, professor emeritus of sport and public policy, U of T
Ian Morrison, MSc, founder, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
John Sewell, C.M., LLB, former mayor of Toronto
Karl Subban, B.Ed., principal, hockey coach and parent of three NHL players

Copies to: Hon. Heather Stefanson, MLA, Premier · Hon. Wayne Ewasko, MLA, Minister of Education · Hon. Kelvin Goertzen, MLA, Minister of Justice and Attorney General · Hon. Audrey Gordon, MLA, Minister of Health · Hon. Sarah Guillemard, MLA, Minister of Advanced Education and Training · Hon. Obby Khan, MLA, Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage · Hon. Janice Morley-Lecomte, MLA, Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness · Hon. Rochelle Squires, MLA, Minister of Families · Hon. Wab Kinew, MLA, Leader of the Opposition · and the responsible Deputy Ministers and Cabinet Secretary