Canadian Senator Wants Standardized Sports Betting Ad Rules

Ontario Senator Marty Deacon believes that more must be done to standardize sports gambling advertisements in Canada, and his draft law, Bill S-211, is hoping to achieve just that. The goal of the bill is just that – create a national framework for sports gambling advertisement.

Sports Gambling Ad Changes Are Needed in Canada, Senator Believes

This, Sen. Deacon argues, should help ensure that Canadians engage with online sportsbooks safely and responsibly. However, to achieve this, the scope, location, and number of ads will need to be adjusted as well, possibly negatively.

Sen. Deacon is hardly on a crusade against the sector, however, and he is – rather – looking for ways to strengthen and improve consumer protections. According to Deacon, who already tried to pass a similar law in 2024, but ultimately failed, his colleagues and he support sports betting legalization, but want to fix the “unintended consequences” quickly.

His idea is not an outlier, as more lawmakers have raised questions over the current rate of gambling ads proliferation and have questioned whether there shouldn’t be fail-safes to protect consumers.

However, industry types have been up in arms and cautioning against overreaching measures. NFL VP of public policy and government affairs Jonathan Nabavi has said that introducing more obstacles for regulated sportsbooks would only empower the black market, which is almost ironic coming from the same organization that, in the lead-up to overturning PASPA, actively tried to block legalizing sports gambling.

Should any such law spearheaded by Sen. Deacon pass, though, it would charge the Minister of Canadian Heritage to come up with a framework that can introduce meaningful changes to the current gambling advertising landscape.

The Goal Is Not to Restrict But to Protect Consumers

Once again, the goal is not purely outlawing gambling ads, but to adjust their scope and reach so that consumers are protected and unintended audiences are not targeted by mistake.

“Unreasonably curtailing responsible advertising will inevitably hamper the important effort to channelize illegal sports betting into the legal market,” the bill explained, demonstrating its commitment to ensuring that the sports gambling market remains competitive and that any measures that are passed are not to its detriment.