Ontario regulators have finally made their long-awaited decision on whether sports betting sites can use athletes in their advertising — and it’s not the blanket ban initially proposed.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced on Tuesday that, after months of consultation and waiting, advertising for legal sports betting and internet casino gambling in Canada's most populous province will no longer be able to incorporate active or retired athletes.
Celebrities that “would likely be expected to appeal to minors” will be banned from Ontario sports betting and iGaming advertising as well.
There is, however, an exception to the new rules — scheduled to take effect on February 28 — which is that athletes are banned from iGaming advertising “except for the exclusive purpose of advocating for responsible gambling practices.”
So, Wayne Gretzky’s days of touting BetMGM might be coming to an end in Ontario, but he still could tout the benefits of setting a budget for your sports betting and sticking to it from March of 2024 and beyond.
“Children and youth are heavily influenced by the athletes and celebrities they look up to,” said Tom Mungham, registrar and CEO of the AGCO, in a press release. “We’re therefore increasing measures to protect Ontario’s youth by disallowing the use of these influential figures to promote online betting in Ontario.”
Hey Canada, @WayneGretzky has some news to share ???? pic.twitter.com/QQeNUBYGEk
— BetMGM ???? (@BetMGM) June 22, 2021
The updated standards from the AGCO come as Ontario’s regulated iGaming sector has grown into the largest in Canada by a wide margin and into one of the bigger markets in North America in relatively short order.
Ontario launched its competitive market for online sports betting and internet casino gambling in April 2022, and since then, billions have been wagered and dozens of provincially regulated operators have set up shop in the province.
That boom in online gambling generated a surge in gambling-related advertising as operators sought to make an impression amongst consumers and inform the public about their newly regulated options.
Ontario had a robust “grey” market for online wagering before the opening of the competitive market in April 2022, which meant operators abroad or outside the province were taking bets and had built up a customer base, forcing newer entrants to make more of a splash.
Nevertheless, in April of this year, the AGCO proposed banning the use of athletes and certain celebrities from iGaming advertising after identifying such marketing as potentially harmful to residents under the legal gambling age.
“Following these consultations, the AGCO has determined that prohibiting the use of athletes and restricting celebrity endorsements would help safeguard children and youth who can be particularly susceptible to such advertising content,” the regulator noted Tuesday.
Here's the official announcement: "The amended standards will prohibit registered Ontario igaming operators from using athletes, whether active or retired, in igaming marketing and advertising, except for the exclusive purpose of advocating for responsible gambling practices." https://t.co/tyjdu2tUKY
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) August 29, 2023
Still, the changes announced by the AGCO on Tuesday won’t take effect until after next year’s Super Bowl, one of the busiest days of the year for legal sports betting operators. Those bookmakers will have plenty of time to adjust their advertising plans but the long wait and the lack of restrictions on the volume of iGaming advertising in Ontario could continue to irk responsible gambling advocates and other concerned parties.
Nevertheless, the AGCO is also tightening rules to ensure measures are in place to limit marketing toward “high-risk” players. The regulator added that it plans to issue extra guidance about its new marketing rules over the next few weeks.
The AGCO is further cracking down on using “celebrities, role models, social media influencers, entertainers, cartoon figures, and symbols that ‘would likely be expected to appeal to minors,’” the regulator said.
“This broadens and strengthens the existing standard that, prior to this change, prohibited the use of advertising and marketing content with a ‘primary appeal to minors,’” the AGCO explained in its release.
