Expect gambling ads to get more ‘creative’ amid Ontario’s stricter rules

Monday, September 4, 2023 5:24 PM
  • Geoff Nixon, CBC News

Companies offering online gambling to Ontarians will soon have to try new some approaches to advertising, as a provincial regulator moves to bar athletes and other celebrities from promoting their services.

The amended rules from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) also prohibit from ads any entertainers, social-media influencers, role models and cartoon characters who would “likely be expected” to appeal to underage Ontarians.

What will that look like in a province that has been bombarded with gambling-related advertising — which has helped drive tens of billions of dollars in wagers since online betting was broadly legalized in 2022?

The new rules “will likely push operators to be more creative,” said Steven Salz, the CEO and co-founder of Rivalry, an esports-focused betting company, in an emailed statement.