Canada MPs Vote On Sports Betting Ad Bill S-211
Federal MPs are set to vote next week on a bill that would start the process of restricting sports betting advertising across Canada. The House of Commons heritage committee will take up Bill S-211, which has already cleared the Senate, according to CBC News.
If the committee approves it, S-211 goes to third and final reading in the House. The vote comes as Ontario and Alberta lobby against it and as researchers report a rise in gambling harms in Ontario.
What Bill S-211 Would Do
The National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act was introduced in the Senate on May 28, 2025 by Senator Marty Deacon. The Senate passed it on October 21, 2025, after its transport and communications committee reported it without amendment on October 8, 2025. In the House, Waterloo MP Bardish Chagger is the sponsor.
Under the bill text, the Minister of Canadian Heritage must develop a national framework. That framework must identify measures to restrict sports betting advertising, limit the number, scope or location of ads, or limit or ban the participation of celebrities and athletes in promotion. The bill also asks the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to review whether its own regulations and policies reduce harms from the spread of betting ads.
The bill does not set the rules itself. CBC describes it as not prescriptive: it commits Ottawa to acknowledge the harms of online gambling and to hold consultations before stricter regulations are drafted. Chagger told CBC she hopes it eventually leads to bans on gambling promotions on sportswear and during live sporting events, limits on ads at certain hours and a prohibition on celebrity and athlete tie-ins.
The Ad Count Behind The Push
CBC worked with the University of Bristol to review seven televised NHL playoff games from 2026 featuring Canadian teams. The analysis counted 3,000 gambling messages, and 95 per cent carried no information on harm reduction or age restrictions. Lead researcher Raffaello Rossi said logos and banners appeared two to three times every minute, on rinks, jerseys and helmets as well as in commercial breaks.
Rossi also pointed to ads for prediction markets appearing. He noted that Belgium, Italy and Spain have near-total bans on sports sponsorship by betting companies, while Belgium, the Netherlands, the U.K., France and Germany restrict betting ads by time of day to after 9 p.m.
Provinces And Industry Push Back
Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey wrote to Ottawa earlier this year that the province already has a comprehensive regulatory framework for online gaming and sports betting, in force since 2022, and should keep control of advertising rules. Alberta's Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally, wrote that the bill would create a two-tier regulatory system and threaten future profits.
The Canadian Gaming Association, which represents 80 companies, filed a submission opposing national ad regulation. It argues that advertising plays a role in steering consumers toward regulated operators that face stringent oversight, and it wants provinces to set advertising standards. On the other side, a coalition of a dozen mental health organizations and 28 addictions researchers has urged Parliament to act nationally.
What To Watch
The committee vote is expected in late October. Operators and media partners offering Canadian betting products will be watching whether S-211 advances to the House floor, since any framework would only follow later consultations.
Anyone worried about their own betting can find support through ConnexOntario on 1-866-531-2600 or Gamblers Anonymous on 1-855-222-5542.
