Ontario bans gambling ads featuring athletes, celebrities
Ontario’s gambling regulator continues its efforts to regulate online gambling advertising.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) says the province is banning gambling ads featuring sports stars and celebrities. The new restrictions will come into effect on February 28, 2024.
The AGCO's decision comes after determining that restricting use by athletes and celebrities "will help protect children and young people who may be particularly vulnerable to such advertising content".
After the first year of Ontario’s open, regulated iGaming market, AGCO finds that advertising and marketing methods that use athletes and celebrities to attract minors pose potential harm to those under the legal gaming age and are increasing "We are taking this step to reduce risk," AGCO said in a statement.
The new rules come after authorities were asked to tackle so-called "advertising deluge".
In April 2022, Ontario became the first province in Canada to introduce an open, regulated iGaming market and expand it to include single-event betting.
In April 2023, it was reported that the regulator had banned the use of athletes in online gambling advertising.
What the new rules cover
Effective February 28, 2024, Ontario will not allow active or retired athletes to be used for advertising or marketing of online games. Exceptions are made for athletes who promote responsible gambling practices.
The ban also includes the use of role models, social media influencers, entertainers, cartoon characters and symbols that may attract minors.
The new changes won't affect the number, placement or style of ads, and not everyone will like that. There have been many complaints and criticisms regarding the increase in online gambling advertising, especially during live sporting events. Some sports fans have even compared the total air time of commercials to the total time of games and expressed concern.
iGaming is hot in Ontario
There's a reason why Ontario's online gaming market is flooded with so many ads.
iGaming Ontario (iGO) reported record gross gaming revenue of $545 million for the first full quarter of fiscal year 2023-24. That compares with $162 million in the same period last year.
Total wagers in the first three months of this year hit $2 billion, according to iGaming Ontario.
AGCO is the regulator in Ontario and iGO is its subsidiary that regulates internet gambling in the province.
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Source: www.casino.org
