Concerns over sports betting advertising aimed at non-regulated provinces within Canada’s borders continue to mount, according to a CBC News report. Local networks have continued to show these ads despite public pushback.
Lottery and gaming corporations from eight provinces have formed a coalition to voice opposition to the sports betting advertising that is shown in areas that do not have regulated iGaming markets.
British Columbia Lottery Corporation's CCO and VP of Safer Play & Enterprise Integrity Noëlle Savoie summed up the group’s sentiments to local news and said the coalition is “obviously not very happy.”
She went on to say, "We are in a fight with people that are operating illegally in our provinces." Savoie serves as a spokesperson for the Canadian Lottery Coalition.
A recent survey conducted by Maru Public Opinion revealed that a majority of Canadians do not want to see these ads anymore.
The study showed that 59% of Canadians surveyed said that they wanted to see a nationwide ban on sports wagering commercials.
Nearly 75% said that youth and children need to be protected from sports betting ads and marketing, and 72% said they were concerned that “many young adults will go deep into debt with online sports betting now available.”
A majority of Canadians surveyed also voiced their concerns that sports betting owners “are not acting responsibly with their ads and marketing.” Almost 62% of those polled shared this opinion, according to the report.
The coalition said it hopes sports betting advertising will be limited to Ontario, where iGaming is regulated, rather than a blanket ad campaign targeting unregulated provinces.
During the past two years since the iGaming market’s opening, the Ontario government has worked closely with the AGCO and iGaming Ontario to register eligible private gaming operators.
To date, the province has 47 registered iGaming operators to offer local players access to 77 regulated sites.
