Canada lawmakers restart push for national sports betting ad rules

Canadian lawmakers have renewed efforts to establish a national framework for sports betting advertising following a change in the federal government.

Senator Marty Deacon introduced Bill S-211 this year, reviving a previous effort, S-269, which stalled after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned in January, ending the previous legislative session. The original gambling advertising framework bill was first tabled in 2023.

Under the proposed legislation, the Minister of Canadian Heritage would be tasked with creating the advertising framework. The previous bill, which passed the Senate in November 2024, included restrictions on the number, scope, and placement of gambling advertisements.

Last week, the Senate’s Standing Committee on Transport and Communications held a brief session, under 10 minutes, to restart discussions on Deacon’s bill. The legislation has now advanced to its third hearing in the Senate following multiple sessions last year.

“We need a common approach, a national standard similar to alcohol, similar to tobacco ads, that is not patchwork," Deacon told CBC last month. "And that’s why the government has to take the lead on this."

About 59% of Canadians favour a ban on gambling advertising, according to a Maru Public Opinion Poll from last year. A Leger study released last month reported that 75% of Canadians who had seen sports betting ads felt there were too many, reflecting growing concern since Ontario opened its online gambling market to commercial operators in 2021.

However, evidence presented during legislative hearings suggests the volume of sports betting ads has been declining. Research group ThinkTV found that out of 28,000 advertisements reviewed in 2024, just 189 were gambling-related, down from 442 in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Gaming Association and the nonprofit Ad Standards group are developing their own advertising codes for gambling operators.

The proposed legislation faces opposition from major sports organizations, including the Canadian Football League, National Football League, and National Hockey League.

Since legalizing single-event sports wagering in 2021, Canada has seen Ontario emerge as the country’s only open commercial sports betting market. Alberta is developing a similar framework. Ontario regulators have implemented some of the strictest advertising guidelines in North America, including bans on celebrity and athlete endorsements, and have fined operators for early violations.

Across North America, regulators are debating advertising limits. In the U.S., Senator Paul Tonko has proposed a federal ban on gambling advertising, though it has yet to gain traction in Congress. Industry stakeholders warn that blanket bans could push bettors toward illegal operators.