Young people inundated with sports betting ads that doctors warn can be harmful | CBC News
Doctors in Canada are calling for restrictions on betting ads during sports broadcasts. They say that even if the ads aren't directly targetting youths, kids still see them and are being set up for a future of problem gambling. Bridget Stringer-Holden · CBC · University of Toronto professor Bruce Kidd, a former track and field athlete and chair of a campaign to ban gambling advertisements, told CBC's On The Coast Monday that the advertisements poison the idea of sport and are addicting a growing number of people into very serious forms of psychological harm. Charlebois says a bill to regulate sports betting advertising has been introduced in the Senate and if passed, would be a good start to addressing the problem.Since 2021, when federal legislation loosened up the rules around sports betting, Ontario has gone full throttle, creating what many have called a Wild West gambling environment. CBC’s Jamie Strashin explores how single-game betting has changed the game for some fans and why addiction experts are worried.CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices·About CBC NewsCorrections and clarifications·Submit a news tip·Report error · More than a third of B.C. youth turning to gambling, gaming with money: report · Governments must rein in online gambling before it's too late, say public health experts · National standards needed for sports betting ads, researchers say"There is lots of regulation of advertising," Paul Burns, the president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) told CBC News on Monday. Burns says CGA has been tracking the data and that online gambling ads represent about two per cent of total ads on television and about five per cent of the total spend in TV advertising. "Even in last year's NHL playoffs, a gambling company didn't make the top 10 advertisers," he said, noting that betting advertisements on NHL broadcasts were at four per cent last year, down from six per cent the year before.
