MPs moving to restrict gambling ads in Canada amid mounting harms

This story is part of a CBC News series examining the public health impacts of online gambling.

For T.S., a 22-year-old Ontario man recovering from a gambling problem, widespread advertising for online casinos and betting during sports broadcasts is "frustrating."

"Imagine you're an alcoholic and there was a beer ad during every show you watched," he told CBC News. 

His gambling started three years ago as a fun Friday night activity with friends, but escalated. 

One night last year he found himself locked inside a bathroom, losing it all — having bet away $14,000.

T.S., who CBC has agreed not to name, says he quickly sought treatment and hasn't gambled since. But during his spree, all those ads fuelled him to gamble more.

"It certainly … would trigger me to go back and place another bet."

Politicians in Ottawa are moving to curb the widespread advertising currently seen across sports broadcasts, social media and online video games.

Sports gambling ads are everywhere. There’s a push to change that

The federal standing committee on Canadian heritage meets next week to vote on Bill S-211, a law that proposes to rein in the ads across the country, amid new findings of increased addiction and gambling-related suicides in Ontario.

Problem gambling jumps, suicides triple in Ontario after expansion of online casinos

A new analysis for CBC News shows Canadians continue to be bombarded with betting promotions during sports broadcasts.

CBC partnered with the University of Bristol to assess the 2026 NHL playoffs to count the numbers of logos and gambling messages.

Across seven televised games featuring Canadian teams, viewers faced 3,000 gambling messages. Ninety-five per cent of those instances included no information about harm