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Bill S‑211 goes to committee. On October 22, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Heritage begins public hearings on Bill S‑211. We’re asking the Committee to pass it with two amendments: widen its scope beyond sports betting to online casinos, video games, prediction markets and other online gambling, and immediately prohibit all gambling advertising, as Canada has already done for tobacco and cannabis.

What else the Committee should do. Once S‑211 is confirmed, the Campaign is urging Canada to sign the Council of Europe’s Macolin Convention on match-fixing and illegal betting, adopt a comprehensive public health strategy for gambling — from harm labelling and public education to universal treatment and enforceable deposit and bet limits — and work with other countries toward a new international convention on gambling harms.

Hiding the evidence. A front-page Toronto Star investigation on October 17 revealed that iGaming Ontario tried to keep its own study of online gambling’s impacts from the public. According to the Star, suicides have risen sharply since iGaming launched in 2022, gambling-related bankruptcies have tripled, and monthly calls to the gambling helpline have climbed from about 50 to more than 300.

What you can do right now: write your MP before the hearings (the letter tool on this site takes a minute), open with “I am your constituent” and your address so your message gets read, and support the Campaign with a donation.