Greo/CCSA report: A need for a pan-Canadian strategy to address gambling-related harms

Recent gambling policy changes in Canada have led to increased opportunities to legally bet on sports and gamble online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Gambling Availability and Advertising in Canada: A Call to Action looks at the impacts of legal gambling in Canada since the approval of Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act in 2021. The report recommends developing a pan-Canadian strategy to address gambling-related harms. This is a new report by Greo Evidence Insights (Greo) and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA).

The report recommends developing a national strategy that will:

• Develop national standards governing the promotion and availability of gambling;
• Manage conflicts of interest among gambling stakeholders;
• Address inadequate funding for gambling harm prevention and reduction initiatives and research;
• Monitor systematic changes in gambling-related harm, including any assessments of the social and economic costs of gambling; and
• Increase awareness of gambling-related harms among health and social service professionals and the public

Read the full news release Call for a national strategy to address gambling-related harms in wake of sports betting boom