Canadian gambling addiction rates have surged since the legalization of single-event sports betting three years ago, experts warned senators, urging tighter regulations on advertising. Blacklock's Reporter says the testimony came during committee hearings on a bill aimed at curbing celebrity endorsements and implementing a national framework for sports betting ads."Seven percent of Canadians met the criteria for problem gambling," said Matthew Young, a researcher at the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, during the Senate transport and communications committee hearing. "Rates of problem gambling are even higher among younger Canadians aged 18 to 34, reaching 15%," he added.Sen. Leo Housakos (Que.), chair of the committee, questioned whether the rise of online sports betting has fueled gambling addiction. “The early indicators are that yes, it has increased so far,” replied Young. “How much? We are not sure because nobody is doing the monitoring and surveillance.”The Senate is reviewing Bill S-269, An Act Respecting A National Framework On Advertising For Sports Betting, which seeks to ban endorsements by celebrities or athletes in the promotion of sports betting and mandate a national regulatory framework."This is clearly a problem, particularly with young people who fall into sports betting addiction," said Housakos. "Otherwise, we would not be having this discussion."The growth in gambling follows Parliament's 2021 passage of Bill C-218, which legalized single-event sports betting by repealing an 1892 ban. Ontario became the first province to license sports betting platforms, and the market now sees wagers totaling $63 billion annually, surpassing casino revenues. According to I-Gaming Ontario, the province has 77 licensed gaming websites and over 1.3 million player accounts.Joanne Fogue Mgamgne, a member of the Mental Health Commission Youth Council, warned of the dangers of normalizing gambling among young people. “We risk further normalizing gambling behavior among impressionable youth,” she said. “Despite the understanding that sports betting is intended for those 18 and older, research shows approximately 1 in 5 Canadian kids between the ages of 9 and 17 engage in casino or gambling games online.”Mgamgne added that sports betting has gamified the experience with video games that reward players for gambling-like mechanics.However, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters urged senators to reject the bill, calling it an "unnecessary overreach." Kevin Desjardins, president of the association, testified that provincial regulators are already addressing the issue.Sen. Paula Simons (Alta.) questioned the financial significance of gambling advertising to broadcasters. Desjardins acknowledged its impact but declined to provide specific figures. "It has been a significant influx of revenue," he said.
