Gambling availability and advertising in Canada: A call to action

View Resource Back to Search Results

Commentaries

Author(s): Young, Matthew M. ; McKnight, Sheila ; Kalbfleisch, Lindsay ; Leon, Corrine ; Lusk, Elizabeth ; Smit Quosai, Trudy ; Stark, Sasha

Publisher: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction

Year Published: 2024

Date Added: July 09, 2024

Resource Type: Position paper

This report describes how the legalization of single-event sports betting in Canada and the opening of the Ontario online gambling market has resulted in a sudden increase in opportunities to legally gamble. The increase in opportunities to legally gamble and the increase in gambling advertising in Canada is cause for concern because of:

Increased gambling participation, which has been associated with increased gambling-related harms
The type of gambling being made available and promoted is associated with greater risk of harm
The volume of gambling advertisements, which repeatedly pair sports with betting, “normalizes” gambling
Many Canadians are more vulnerable to problematic gambling and gambling-related harms because of the impacts of COVID-19 and a rise in the cost of living

The impact of these significant changes in gambling policy on the health of Canadians is largely unknown, as there is no national or provincial/territorial monitoring and surveillance of gambling-related harm. The report recommends a national independent organization, such as the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, convene stakeholders to develop a pan-Canadian strategy to address gambling-related harm.

Citation: Young, M.M., McKnight, S., Kalbfleisch, L., Leon, C. Lusk, E., Smit Quosai, T., & Stark, S. (2024). Gambling availability and advertising in Canada: A call to action. Prepared by Greo Evidence Insights. Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. Available from: https://www.ccsa.ca/sites/default/files/2024-06/Gambling-Availability-and-Advertising-in-Canada-en.pdf

Keywords: advertising ; gambling harm ; harm reduction ; marketing ; prevention ; public health ; public policy ; strategy

Topics: Gambling Exposure ; Gambling Resources ; Information for Operators ; Information for Policy Makers ; Information for Treatment Providers ; Prevention ; Public Health

Conceptual Framework Factors: Gambling Types ; Cultural - Gambling Cultures ; Types - Structural Characteristics ; Exposure - Marketing and Messaging ; Environment - Socio-Political Environment ; Exposure - Accessibility ; Cultural Factors ; Resources - Harm Reduction, Prevention, and Protection ; Gambling Environment ; Environment - Public Policy ; Gambling Exposure ; Gambling Resources

Geographic Coverage: Canada

Source: Greo

Source Type: Not-for-Profit

Related Resources:

Online gambling among young Canadian adults: A call to action

Study Funding:

This work builds on material originally developed for an internal document requested and funded by The Partnership to support a member symposium. This material has been modified and the opinions expressed in this report do not represent the views of The Partnership nor individual members of The Partnership.