We have been critical of the expanse of gambling ads during Canadian sports telecasts. Our concern goes back years in writing about cigarette ads, spirits ads, and other so-called "controversial" yet legal products.
Canada has chosen a laissez-faire type approach to what is allowed in gambling advertising. The provinces are more in control than one might expect (think health care). The laissez faire approach has not gone over well.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has a proposal to ban the use of athletes and celebrities, who might appeal to kids, in internet gambling advertisements. The AGCO is accepting comments until May 8. New rules wouldn't take effect until 3 months after the publication of final, amended standards.
The ban would only apply to Ontario, though that would take out national advertising in Canada.
The UK instituted similar rules a year ago: that ban affects athletes, reality TV and social media stars who appeal to young people.
The Big 3 in Canada gambling advertising are Connor McDavid, Wayne Gretzky, and Auston Matthews: people who definitely appeal to kids.
The NFL just suspended 5 players, 3 of them indefinitely, for gambling. The NHL doesn't need that kind of grief to the sport.
Under the current setup, gambling ads, in and out of content, go way further than beer and spirits ads. If they stuck to similar principles, we might still hate the gambling ads but they would be much more tolerable.
These are our proposed rules:
1) No person currently playing in the NHL or has any connection to the sport in an on-air capacity shall appear in person or voice in any gambling ad.
2) No ad with updated odds shall appear once the game has started until the conclusion of said game.
3) No gambling content is allowed within pregame or postgame programming on any national or local team broadcast.
4) No in-game ads. Ads would be limited to commercial breaks.
Under these rules, gambling sites can run ads, odds or otherwise, during pregame and postgame programming, just not within content. They can run ads during the game and in intermissions, just not with updated odds.
Cabbie Richards, executive producer of sports betting content for Sportsnet, could be in ads during commercial breaks but can't incorporate Sportsnet personalities into ads, especially within programming.
Sports networks could still run odds in the news scroll at the bottom of the screen.
Rule #1 would definitely apply to Wayne Gretzky (among others). Hiring former NHL players to promote gambling is bad enough but not being actively involved with the league can be a restraint of trade. Having the most significant retired player associated with gambling is a terrible image for the NHL.
Our proposed rules don't go as far as the AGCO proposal, though theirs is limited to internet ads. We wouldn't lose any sleep if its ban were in place.
What about Rogers Sportsnet studio content being sponsored by a betting company? This is the same company that had Huawei as a sponsor when 2 Canadians were held hostage in China, an action tied directly to the telecommunications company. Rule #5 would be that a betting company could sponsor studio coverage but without any content tied to the company. In other words, you could have the logo and say the name of the company but you couldn't add descriptive content, especially from on-air people tied to the sport.
Advocates push to ban gambling ads featuring athletes (The Current)
Brian Masse, the NDP MP for Windsor West in Ontario, was responsible with his federal sports betting bill that paved the way for legal online gambling in Canada. Masse told Matt Galloway on The Current that he is in favour of the proposed ACGO changes.
Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, also was on the segment with Galloway. Burns insisted they didn't want people who would appeal to children, but McDavid and Matthews absolutely qualify. Gretzky does in many ways.
CanadianCrossing.com Canadian society coverage
The Federal Communications Commission in the United States and PBS have rules and laws over what might appear to be "ads" on PBS. Those rules are considered to be lax, giving leeway to put an "ad" on a network that isn't supposed to have ads.
Limits on ads or even "ads" are easy to compile and enforce.
CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage
There was an era where many active baseball players, including Willie Mays and Stan Musial, advertised cigarettes. They might mention this true statement to justify current NHL players to do gambling ads.
We know cigarettes are addictive. We know gambling is addictive. The mistakes of past eras shouldn't be used to justify the mistakes of the current era.
Gambling ads are so prevalent now that parents have to keep talking to their kids to remind them hockey and football and baseball can be enjoyed without gambling. The on-screen messages present a very different world.
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
Our American readers might be thinking 21 as the legal age for gambling. You should know the gambling laws in Canada are the same age as drinking laws: 19 in Canada, though 18 in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec.
photo credit: BetMGM
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