A new study commissioned by the B.C. government’s gambling regulator suggests that nearly one-fifth of British Columbian adults engaged in moderate- to high-risk gambling behavior in the past year.
In response, B.C. is calling on the federal government to create a national framework of advertising controls to tackle the “normalization” of gambling, particularly among youth aged 16 to 18. Nearly a third of respondents in that age category reported moderate- to high-risk gambling behavior.
Nina Krieger, B.C.’s Solicitor General and Public Safety minister, wrote to her federal counterparts on Thursday, saying that with few tools to respond provincially, she wants the federal government to step in to restrict gambling advertisements, including their frequency, timing, when they can be shown, and who can make endorsements.
