National Sports Betting Ad Framework Receives Push, Senate Committee Approves Bill

^{The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications approves Bill S-211 amid growing concerns that increased exposure to gambling ads is harmful to minors and those at risk of addiction. (Image:  Countrywide Images / Alamy)}

The way sports betting is advertised in Canada could soon change, following the passage of a bill that aims to regulate the practice more closely.

The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications has approved Bill S-211 which seeks to introduce a national framework for sports betting advertising that will add new restrictions on how gambling can be promoted.

The bill, called the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act, is now progressing to a third reading. It was discussed for under 10 minutes by Senate members last week and passed with no debate.

Should it also pass the third reading, the bill will be forwarded to the House of Commons, where it will undergo a similar series of debates, readings and potential amendments.

If the bill reaches a third reading in the House of Commons, it will be voted on by MPs and if it passes that vote, it’ll be sent back to the Senate for final agreement.

Once both the Senate and House of Commons agree on the final text of the bill, it will be submitted to the Governor General for Royal Assent. Once Royal Assent is given, the bill officially becomes law.

Growing concerns over betting adverts during sporting events

Introduced by Ontario Senator Marty Deacon, the bill states that the national framework must “identify measures to regulate sports betting advertising in Canada, with a view to restricting the use of such advertising” as well as “limiting or banning the participation of celebrities and athletes in the promotion of sports betting.”

It also places special emphasis on the need to identify measures to prevent minors from being exposed to, or engaging in, “harmful gambling activities”, as well as setting out national standards for the prevention of gambling addiction and for support measures for those who suffer from, or are at risk of, addiction.

The bill’s approval comes amid growing concerns over the widespread presence of gambling ads in Canada, especially during sporting events, and their potential to encourage unhealthy betting behaviour.

A consumer survey earlier this month found that 75% of Canadians feel inundated with sports betting commercials, while over half think sports betting media deals should end.

Speaking back in June at the second reading of the the bill, Deacon said:

“The saturation of ads was an issue that should have been dealt with from the start. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that today in Canada, it is impossible to watch a sporting event without being encouraged to gamble.”

Bill S-211 is a reviving of S-269, a previous effort which was passed by the Senate in November 2024 and sent to the House, but then stalled after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned in January which ended the legislative session.

The original gambling advertising framework bill was first tabled back in 2023, and calls for the Minister of Canadian Heritage to lead the development of the national framework

Since then, Alberta has passed online gambling enabling legislation and is expected to open its legal iGaming market to private operators in 2026. While slower movements are being made in other provinces such as British Columbia and Québec.

On the need to have a national framework, rather than provincial, Deacon added:

“We let companies find creative ways to get around provincial regulations as they appear. As other provinces allow for their own private markets, which seems inevitable, Canadians will be presented with a patchwork of regulation that will only be as good as its weakest denominator. We must strike early and while the iron is hot, or hottish.”

National not provincial approach 

Bill S-211 states:

“Other countries where sports betting is prominent have developed approaches, in the public interest, to restrict sports betting advertising. Parliament recognizes the need for a reasonable and standardized approach across Canada.”

Currently Ontario, the only regulated iGaming province in Canada, has strict laws on gambling advertising, such as banning the use of athletes or celebrities to promote online casinos or sports betting sites.

In terms of a hypothetical timeline of if/when Bill S-211 becomes law, if the bill faces little to no opposition then it could be signed into law in the next two-three months.

Though a more realistic timeframe would be somewhere between six months to a year, as a bill of this type often involves careful considerations, amendments and cross-chamber negotiations.