Waterloo Region senator sets sights on ‘correcting’ sports betting ads

What started out with all good intentions has become somewhat of a problem, at least that’s how Sen. Marty Deacon sees it.

The Senator for Waterloo Region was in full support of the Justin Trudeau government when it legalized single-game sports betting in Canada in 2021. She worked on that legislation but admits there was an oversight, advertising.

Sen. Deacon is bringing back her Bill S-211 – the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act, which would create a path forward to regulate sports betting ads.

“A framework that says: ‘Hey, how do we pull back the reins on advertising? What are the things we can do? How do we support those who are in crisis who do need support and a lot of issues with addiction?'” she told 570 NewsRadio

The issue for Deacon is the kids.

She said she’s heard horror stories from all over, including Waterloo Region, of young people with gambling addictions and how that’s impacted both their lives and families.

Deacon said what they failed to do when first legalizing sports gambling was to consider the impact of advertising.

“So, this is an opportunity now, I believe, to get this right and to correct this issue. It’s interesting because we’re kind of early into this, but the U.K., Germany, Hungary are a few years ahead of us, and so we are actually learning from them.”

But Deacon said they are also working closely with the medical community, which has said children with gambling addictions are becoming commonplace.

“It is very powerful when you talk to a doctor who says, ‘We hardly saw this three or four years ago, and I’m a pediatrician who works with addictions, and now this is becoming more of a norm in my office or the emergency room.'”

Deacon’s original bill S-211 died when parliament was prorogued after then prime minister Trudeau resigned. But that has given her time to strengthen the bill.

“Because of the delays, we have a lot of data now on Canada, by Canadians, for Canadians on this from the doctors, from the Canadian Mental Health Organization, from CAMH, from a variety of sources.”

Deacon wanted to reiterate that she is not proposing a full ban on sports betting advertising, rather a correction. But if the bill were to result in a full ban, she’d be okay with that.