Gambling addiction has worsened in Canada since single-event sports betting was legalized three years ago, and young Canadians are the most affected, experts told a Senate committee.
While 7 percent of the general population is considered to have a “problem gambling” issue, the rate is 15 percent for those aged 18 to 34,
Matthew Young, chief research officer at Greo Evidence Insights, told the transport and communications committee on Sept. 25.
Asked by committee chair Sen. Leo Housakos whether problem gambling has gone up since single-event sports betting was legalized three years ago, Young said, “The early indicators are that yes it has increased so far.”
“How much? We are not sure because nobody is doing the monitoring and surveillance,” Young said.
Single-event sports betting was legalized in 2021 when
Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, was passed. The bill amended Paragraph 207(4)(b) of the Criminal Code,
allowing for provinces and territories to conduct and manage betting–either online or in physical facilities–on single sport events like races or fights.
“Strengthening our economy by supporting the decriminalization of single event sport betting is important to the Government of Canada and contributes to creating a safer and stronger Canada,” said the federal government in a
2021 press release announcing the bill’s effective date.
Senators are currently reviewing a new bill to limit advertising for sports betting.
Bill S-269 received second reading on May 9, and if enacted
would ban endorsements by “celebrities or athletes in the promotion of sports betting,” and develop a “national framework” to restrict the use of sports betting advertising.
“The proliferation of advertising for sports betting and other forms of gambling activities has become pervasive in Canadian society,”
reads the bill.
“Research has shown that increased exposure to advertising for gambling activities leads to increased participation in these gambling activities, particularly by minors and those at a heightened risk of harms from harmful gambling behaviours.”
Joannie Fogue Mgamgne, a member of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Youth Council, told the committee that legalizing bookmaking was normalizing gambling, especially among “impressionable youth.”
“Despite the understanding that sports betting is intended for those 18 and older, research shows approximately 1 in 5 Canadian kids between the ages of 9 and 17 engage in casino or gambling games online,” she told the committee.
