Responsible Gambling in Canada: Moving Beyond Gestures to Real Player Protection

An anonymous quote from an iGaming executive to Gaming News Canada perfectly summed up the present state of online gambling advertising in Canada.

“Everybody has dropped the ball on this.”

There has been public outcry at the level of saturation of online gambling advertising in the country. In particular, the widespread use of celebrities and sports stars to advertise gambling products has Canadians concerned. Frustration has grown at the sheer volume of gambling ads bombarding people in their daily lives.

Legislators have responded to the growing concerns with Bill S-211, a regulatory framework for restricting online gambling advertising. This is currently making its way through the House of Commons, having passed the Senate in April. However, will this be enough to satisfy a growing discontent with the way gambling products are being advertised in Canada?

The iGaming industry has a trust problem

There is a general feeling in Canada that gambling advertising is out of control. Wall-to-wall sports betting ads dominate sports broadcasts and Canadians are getting fed up with the blanket coverage of a product that they understand can do harm.

The responsible gambling messaging that accompanies these ads is considered ‘performative’. More gestures than something that someone is going to take seriously.

Sue Schneider, a prominent figure in the global iGaming and gambling industry, recently said in an op-ed with SBC Americas:

“We’re going down the route of other ‘sin’ industries like alcohol and tobacco without, apparently, learning from their examples.”

The issue in Canada is no longer whether responsible gambling matters; it’s whether the industry is willing to reconsider how it protects people engaging with gambling sites and apps.

Current responsible gambling messaging is falling short

Even though operators in regulated provinces are mandated to provide responsible gambling (RG) messaging with any advertising, the perception is that it is more of a ‘tick box’ exercise, rather than a responsibility.

The public has noticed that RG messaging is often very generic, lacking any sort of personalisation, and often disconnected from the actual risk involved.

Campaigners who have studied RG message delivery have identified that messaging is often ‘poorly timed’ and ‘lacking behavioural context’. Leading to a sense that RG is more of an obligation, rather than something that is being taken seriously by operators.

Canada’s mixed gambling regulation approach

Unlike other countries, like the UK and Sweden - which have introduced online gambling regulation throughout the entire country, Canada is approaching regulation one province at a time. Online gambling regulation is present in Ontario, with Alberta currently going through the process of introducing a regulatory framework later this year.

Assuming other provinces introduce stricter regulation for online gambling, Canada will have a patch-work quilt of advertising rules for operators to navigate. Even if the different provinces follow very similar models to Ontario, there are likely to be big gaps in things like data, messaging, and consistency, which will likely have a knock-on effect in terms of player safety and black-market activity.

What can be done in Canada to build back trust with the public?

With public anger growing with every sports broadcast and the sluggish pace of legislative reform, Canadian authorities may be forced to act faster on this situation. There are two areas in particular that industry experts feel could help reduce tension over gambling advertising and lead to a more positive approach to protecting vulnerable groups.

A review of gambling advertising in sports

One of the clearest issues that is really angering the public is the hijacking of top Canadian sports teams, stadiums, and live broadcasts by sports betting companies, gambling operators, and even prediction market firms.

For a nation that is very proud of their sports and the connections they have to Canadian identity - to see those sports being bundled up into advertising packages and sold off to the highest bidder is really getting under the skin of many Canadians.

The glacial pace at which regulators and authorities are reacting is creating a sense of ignoring the growing problem, or worse - that the people in charge are being paid to look the other way.

The situation is growing increasingly problematic as authorities and the public appear to be out of step with each other on this matter. However, there is an opportunity to make changes that will improve the situation.

Canadian sports could be a starting point for authorities to regain public confidence around gambling advertising. Some suggestions include:

• Reducing gambling ad volume around broadcast sporting events
   
• Approval process for gambling partnerships and sports teams
   
• Making responsible gambling messaging mandatory and regular
   
• Removing opportunities for grey market operators to sponsor teams and stadiums

Winning back the trust of sports fans would go a long way to calming public concern to gambling advertising. Without authorities stepping in, the likelihood is that adverts for gambling products are only going to increase around sporting events moving forward.

Re-think the strategy on responsible gambling

Messaging around responsible gambling has come under fire for several reasons. The main one is the perceived lack of seriousness in the approach. Messaging is often considered weak or performative, and there is a general feeling that the potential harms from gambling are not being clearly outlined.

As mentioned above, regulation is not equal across Canada and therefore having a national approach to responsible gambling is going to be more challenging. However, where regulation is strictly enforced, then there may be some opportunities to win back public support. Examples include:

• Mandatory requirements for operators to broadcast ‘safe gambling’ ads
   
• More personalised RG messaging and timely interventions
   
• Strong enforcement action on marketers targeting vulnerable players
   
• A coordinated approach, putting RG at the forefront of gambling advertising
   
• By taking RG seriously, authorities in Canada can win back public trust - even if it takes time. Working with operators and marketers to meet this challenge, authorities will see harm from gambling trend in the right direction.

Something has to change

It all circles back to the quote at the beginning of this article.

“Everybody has dropped the ball on this.”

The first thing authorities in Canada should do is admit that they have made some mistakes with gambling advertising. The public are very clear that they are unhappy with how gambling products are being advertised and they want to see change.

There is an opportunity to rethink the strategy and come up with a more coherent plan that reduces harm from gambling and gets the public back on side. However, that will require leaders from around the country to come together and figure out a new path. 

What we know from looking around at other countries that have introduced regulation - the process can be extremely challenging. But if legislators fail to act then they will have to deal with a public backlash that is only getting bigger.