Sports gambling ads seem to be everywhere in Canada. Why some want a ban
Global News
Advocates say sports gambling ads can pose a risk to youth, with some research showing consistent exposure could lead to more children betting when they're older.
A ban on the use of athletes and celebrities in online gambling ads in Ontario, including for sports, is set to take effect next month. But some advocates are calling for a nationwide ban on sports betting commercials to better protect children and youth in Canada.
Gambling in sports is not new. But as soon as the federal government legalized single-game sports betting in 2021, the flood gates opened for advertisements to play during hockey games, on social media applications and on the internet.
Former Olympian Bruce Kidd, who is also a professor emeritus of sport policy at the University of Toronto, told Global News that research from multiple countries has shown young people are persuaded by these ads into wanting to gamble.
“We see these ads grooming children and youth to become life-long betters and risk the addictions,” he said.
Researchers at Ipsos Mori and the University of Stirling published a report in 2020 after examining the impact of gambling marketing and advertisements on children, young adults and vulnerable groups in the U.K. It found exposure over the span of one month led to a higher likelihood those aged 11-24 would bet later in life.
It’s why Kidd started The Campaign to Ban Advertising for Gambling, where advocates — including three-time hockey dad Karl Subban and Olympic medalist Clara Hughes — have called for these commercials to be banned.
According to University of Toronto – Scarborough psychology professor Steve Joordens, part of the issue faced when it comes to gambling is that it’s tied to random rewards and a dopamine release.
When it comes to advertisements, he said they can often be geared toward just getting someone to start.
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