S-269 – the National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act – sets up a framework to regulate advertising for sports betting and sets standards to prevent risk to people that are addicted to gambling.
Framework
The Minister of Canadian Heritage is responsible for establishing the framework on advertising for sports betting. The framework will need to:
- Identify ways to regulate the advertising, aimed at restricting it, limiting the number of ads, their scope, or their locations. This includes the option to ban celebrities and athletes from promoting sports betting.
- Identify measures to promote research and information sharing between governments on the impact these ads have on children, and supporting measures to help people who are addicted to sports gambling.
- Set out national standards to prevent and diagnose harmful gambling, and for support measures for people impacted by it.
The Minister will need to consult with the Minister of Industry, Minister of Justice, Minister of Health, Minister of Employment and Social Development, the Minister in charge of mental health and addictions, the Minister of Indigenous Services, and any other Ministers they think have relevant responsibilities. They’ll also need to consult any stakeholders that might be relevant, gaming regulators, and provincial/Indigenous governments.
Report
The Minister will have one year to set out this framework, and it will be reviewed every five years after that to determine its effectiveness.
CRTC Review
S-269 also requires the CRTC to review its regulations and policies to see if they’re effective at reducing the negative impacts of sports betting ads. They’ll also have one year to create a report on this and present it to the House.
Progress
S-269 is currently waiting for its Second Reading in the Senate.