The end of the "star" era in betting: Canada is preparing for strict restrictions on gambling advertising

The Canadian authorities have come close to the issue of strict regulation of gambling marketing at the state level. The key stage will be the vote scheduled for April 22 in the House of Commons. MPs will consider a bill designed to introduce uniform national standards for advertising sports betting, which should replace the current set of disparate regional rules.

Why do we need new rules?

After sports betting was legalized in 2021, and the Ontario market opened in 2022, the Canadian media literally drowned in the flow of gambling content. This caused a serious public outcry:

• According to a survey by Maru Public Opinion, the overwhelming majority of citizens (68%) are in favor of a complete ban on the use of images of idols and professional athletes in such campaigns.
• Another 59% of respondents demand that bookmakers' videos be removed from TV screens.

At the moment, partial restrictions are already in effect in Ontario: there celebrities are only allowed to participate in campaigns promoting responsible gambling. The new federal code should scale this experience to the whole country, protecting vulnerable segments of the population from aggressive marketing.

Global context

Canada is not alone in its quest. In Italy, since 2018, there has been a total ban on any sponsorship and promotion of gambling (although football clubs are now actively lobbying for its mitigation due to lack of budgets). Australia has also chosen the path of restrictions: from 2027, a ban on attracting stars and athletes to the popularization of betting will officially come into force there.