Chamber
senate
Stage
3rd Reading
Introduced
May 28, 2025
Progress
This bill requires the federal government to create national standards for regulating sports betting advertising in Canada.
Key Changes
- Requires the Minister of Canadian Heritage to develop a national framework for regulating sports betting advertising within one year
- The framework must consider restricting the number, location, or scope of sports betting ads, and may limit or ban celebrity and athlete endorsements
- Sets national standards for preventing and treating gambling addiction and supporting those harmed by it
- Requires broad consultations with federal and provincial ministers, Indigenous communities, medical experts, and industry groups
- Requires the CRTC to review its own rules and policies on sports betting advertising and report back to the Minister within one year of the bill receiving royal assent
- Requires a follow-up report to Parliament within five years evaluating which measures were implemented and how effective they were
Gotchas
- This bill only requires the government to create a framework and report on it — it does not itself ban or restrict any advertising. Actual restrictions would come later through separate regulations or legislation.
- The CRTC review is required within one year of royal assent, but the Minister's national framework report is due within one year of the bill coming into force — these timelines may not align, potentially limiting how well the two processes inform each other.
- The bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance with any future standards that emerge from the framework.
- Gambling regulation is largely a provincial responsibility in Canada, so the federal framework may face jurisdictional challenges or require provincial cooperation to be effective.
- The five-year implementation review timeline means it could be many years before meaningful changes are evaluated or adjusted.
Who's Affected
- Young people and minors exposed to gambling advertising
- People with gambling addictions or at risk of developing one
- Sports betting companies and online gambling operators
- Broadcasters and media companies that carry gambling ads
- Athletes and celebrities who appear in gambling promotions
- Provincial governments and gaming regulators
- Indigenous communities
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- This bill only requires the government to create a framework and report on it — it does not itself ban or restrict any advertising. Actual restrictions would come later through separate regulations or legislation.
- The CRTC review is required within one year of royal assent, but the Minister's national framework report is due within one year of the bill coming into force — these timelines may not align, potentially limiting how well the two processes inform each other.
- The bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance with any future standards that emerge from the framework.
- Gambling regulation is largely a provincial responsibility in Canada, so the federal framework may face jurisdictional challenges or require provincial cooperation to be effective.
- The five-year implementation review timeline means it could be many years before meaningful changes are evaluated or adjusted.
Summary
This bill was introduced in the Senate in May 2025. It requires the Minister of Canadian Heritage to develop a national framework — basically a set of rules and standards — for how sports betting can be advertised across Canada. The framework could include things like limiting how many ads can run, where they can appear, and whether celebrities or athletes can be used to promote gambling. The bill was introduced because since 2021, single-game sports betting became legal in Canada, and gambling ads have become very common. Different provinces have handled this differently, and there are concerns that the flood of advertising is leading more people — especially young people and those vulnerable to addiction — to gamble. The bill points to other countries that have already moved to restrict this kind of advertising. The Minister must consult a wide range of people and groups before finalizing the framework, including other federal ministers, provincial governments, Indigenous communities, medical experts, and the gambling and advertising industries. A report on the framework must be published within one year, and a follow-up report on how well it worked must come within five years.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses
Recorded Votes
| Date | Description | Yeas | Nays | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2026 | 2nd reading of Bill S-211, An Act respecting a national framework on sports betting advertising | 291 | 28 | Agreed To |