Canada’s Sports Betting Ad Problem Isn’t New

Canada is once again questioning how far sports betting advertising should go. But according to government records, the problem began well before lawmakers legalized single-game wagering in 2021 or opened Ontario’s iGaming market in 2022. For years, provinces have been frustrated by offshore betting sites advertising to Canadians without oversight or tax obligations.

Grey Market Roots

Internal memos describe how unregulated operators relied on tricks like “free-to-play” promotions that secretly pushed players to real-money platforms. Complaints were already filed back in 2018 with Advertising Standards Canada. Regulators in provinces from British Columbia to Nova Scotia argued that such ads violated national standards, but enforcement barely scratched the surface.

Some offshore sites became so recognizable that their names circulated online in casual talk, the same way someone might drop brands like Pinnacle or Bet365 into a sports discussion prior to regulation. In other words, grey-market brands were treated as normal, even though they operated outside provincial law.

A Justice Department memo from January 2023 confirmed what many already knew: before Ontario created its competitive market, the only legal online gambling came from Crown corporations like OLG.ca. Yet countless Canadians were already logging into offshore casinos and sportsbooks that openly advertised on TV, billboards, and websites.

Ontario’s Gamble

Ontario disrupted the old model in April 2022 when it launched iGaming Ontario. The province licensed dozens of private operators, offering everything from sports betting and poker to slots and bingo. The move generated revenue and brought safeguards like ID checks and deposit limits.

But it also sparked friction. Other provincial lotteries accused Ontario brands of advertising nationally, reaching players outside the province. Some operators even redirected Canadians straight from their ads to offshore sites. Manitoba’s lottery took Bodog to court and won an injunction that forced the brand to block access in the province.

The Push for a National Framework

The spillover revived calls for federal action. Senator Marty Deacon introduced Bill S-211, the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act. If passed, Ottawa would have to coordinate with provinces on a national set of ad rules designed to limit the number, scope, and location of sports betting advertisements.

Supporters point to pressing public health concerns. An editorial published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) argued that sports betting commercials normalize gambling for kids during an impressionable stage of brain development. Medical experts note that problem gambling rates among young Canadians were already double the national average in 2018, long before single-game betting was fully legalized.

Industry Resistance

The Canadian Gaming Association disagrees with the need for federal intervention. Its president, Paul Burns, told a Senate committee that provinces already have the tools to regulate ads, and extra federal rules would be redundant. The CGA also insists that advertising levels are overstated, noting that out of 35,000 ads cleared for TV last year, fewer than 100 were for gambling.

From the industry’s view, the real danger comes from unlicensed operators, not regulated ones. They argue Ontario’s system has proven that minors can’t easily open accounts under a strictly licensed framework; a safeguard that doesn’t exist in provinces still operating in grey zones.

Offshore Ads Keep Coming

Despite lawsuits and warnings, offshore ads continue to flood Canadian screens. Ontario’s regulator stated it contacted more than a dozen platforms in 2023 demanding they stop running ads for sites operating outside the provincial framework. The issue, officials say, is that such advertising makes players think these operators are legal when they’re not and the generated revenue never returns to Canadian programs or services.

British Columbia Lottery Corporation CEO Pat Davis put it bluntly: offshore sites leave players unprotected while draining funds that could otherwise support healthcare and education.

Older Than Legalization

Canada’s struggle with gambling ads is older than most realize. Provinces were complaining years before the decriminalization of single-game wagering. Ontario’s bold move to open its market reignited the conversation, but it didn’t erase the grey market or its advertisements.

Whether Ottawa successfully implements a national framework or provinces keep battling on their own, Canadians will likely continue seeing ads from both licensed and unlicensed sites. The line between regulated play and offshore gambling remains blurred, and solving that problem will require far more than just new legislation.