Ontario Liberals Introduce Bill to Ban Online Casino Ads

^{The proposed Stop Harmful Gambling Advertising Act, 2026 seeks to ban all online gambling advertising in the province, with severe penalties in place for operators who break the rules. ( Image: JHVEPhoto, Alamy.)}

Citing a growing public health crisis, Ontario Liberal MPPs introduced a bill Monday that would ban all online gambling advertising in the province.

Bill 107, the proposed Stop Harmful Gambling Advertising Act, 2026, would outlaw all promotion of online gaming platforms across TV, radio, social media and sponsorships.

Introduced at Queen's Park on April 20 by Liberal MPP Lee Fairclough, and co-sponsored by fellow MPPs Stephen Blais, Ted Hsu and interim party leader John Fraser, the bill seeks to amend the Gaming Control Act of 1992 and would impose severe penalties on any Ontario online casinos and sportsbooks that continue to advertise their products to players.

Notable exemptions to the ban would include foreign broadcast retransmissions, educational content depicting gambling and editorial reporting referencing casinos.

Operators found guilty of illegal advertising could face fines of up to $1 million, while a second or subsequent conviction would trigger an automatic revocation of their iGaming Ontario license, meaning they would no longer be able to accept players from Ontario.

Central to the bill's argument is a sharp rise in gambling addiction since Ontario opened its legal online gambling market in April 2022.

"The bill is in response to the growing public health crisis associated with gambling addiction in the province that has exploded following the province's 2022 decision to open the online gambling market to private operators.

"Since that time, there are 50 private gambling companies advertising and promoting their sites across platforms.

"We've also seen a substantial increase in the number of people accessing health services through ConnexOntario for gambling problems," Fairclough said Monday at Queen's Park.

According to the bill's preamble, ConnexOntario, the province's mental health and addictions helpline, reported a 144 per cent increase in calls following the market's launch, with online gaming now accounting for 76 per cent of all gambling-related contacts to the helpline.

The bill describes gambling as an addictive activity comparable to alcohol, tobacco and cannabis, all of which carry existing advertising restrictions. It also highlights a significant increase in young men and boys aged 15 to 24 seeking treatment for gambling addiction. 

One in three Canadian adults aged 18 to 29 reported gambling online, with one in four reporting a high level of gambling-related harm. The bill further notes that those struggling with gambling addiction face a heightened risk of suicidal ideation.

Bill faces strong opposition inside and outside Queen's Park

In a statement announcing the bill, Fairclough reiterated that online gambling is becoming a public health crisis.

"The harms are real, rising addiction, worsening mental health, financial distress, and strain on families. We cannot ignore the impact that Doug Ford's privatized online gambling is having on people across Ontario."

However, given the Liberal Party's current minority status, Bill 107 faces a significant uphill battle to pass. Holding just 14 seats, the Liberal Party is the third party in the legislature, vastly outnumbered by the governing Progressive Conservatives, who hold 80 seats and are expected to oppose the bill at its second reading.

Further opposition comes from within the gaming industry. The Canadian Gaming Association issued a statement on April 22 voicing its objection to Bill 107, outlining existing restrictions on gambling advertising in Ontario and warning that a ban could open up opportunities for unlicensed, offshore casinos.

"Ontario enforces some of the most rigorous marketing regulations in North America. Unlike other regions where advertising tends to grow as new markets emerge, Ontario adopted a cautious strategy.

"Operators are restricted to promoting bonuses or incentives solely on their landing pages or by contacting customers directly; consequently, billboards and similar ads displaying bonus or sign-up offers are prohibited.

"Bill 107 essentially allows illegal operators to flood social media with posts, making it impossible for Ontarians to identify licensed providers while weakening the authority of the AGCO. This fails to safeguard vulnerable people or minors; on the contrary, it actually puts them at greater risk. Ontario has worked hard to make its market safe. We urge the government to continue to put its players first."

Should Bill 107 be voted down at second reading, the legislation would be dead in the water, with Fairclough and her co-sponsors unable to reintroduce it in its current form during the same parliamentary session. However, the debate around gambling advertising is unlikely to go away.

Federal legislators are already moving in a similar direction, with Bill S-211, sponsored by Independent Senator Marty Deacon, having passed the Senate twice and cleared a 291-28 vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday, sending it to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. 

Unlike Bill 107, S-211 focuses specifically on sports betting advertising rather than all online gambling. Should it eventually become law, a new national framework for sports betting advertising would be created, adding new restrictions on how wagering on sports can be promoted across all of Canada.