The gambling landscape in Canada, as in many other parts of the world, has undergone a significant transformation. Gambling is no longer an activity confined to specific locations and times; it is now accessible anytime and anywhere through mobile devices. With growing concerns about the harms associated with the liberalization of online gambling and sports betting, it is crucial to reassess recent developments and engage in a comprehensive debate on the next steps, utilizing the full spectrum of research on gambling-related harms.
In 2021, Canada amended its Criminal Code through the passage of the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act (Bill C-218), allowing provinces to regulate single sports betting. This reform followed similar changes in the U.S., aiming to deter Canadians from using illegal online gambling sites and to generate revenue for provinces as traditional casinos faced increasing competition from online platforms.
These goals—redirecting gambling to authorized sites and boosting provincial revenues—have largely been met, with the Canadian Gaming Association estimating that the sports betting market in Ontario alone is worth around CAN $1.4 billion annually. However, as Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, highlights, there is growing public and political concern over the negative consequences of this rapid expansion of gambling. Having introduced online sports betting with minimal regulation in 2021, Canadian leaders now find themselves trying to catch up with the fallout.
A national framework for sports betting advertising
In response to these concerns, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario recently introduced new regulations on sports betting advertising, prohibiting celebrities and athletes from appearing in such ads in sports coverage and on social media. At the federal level, politicians continue to debate the National Framework on Advertising for Sports Betting Act (Bill S-269), introduced in 2021. This proposed legislation seeks to establish measures to limit sports betting advertising, such as controlling the scope, number, or location of ads, supporting research and inter-governmental sharing of knowledge about gambling harm, and setting national standards for preventing, diagnosing, and treating gambling harm.
Broadening the perspective on gambling harm
While these proposed measures are a step in the right direction, a broader perspective on gambling harm is necessary, incorporating insights from a wider range of experts.
Historically, gambling studies have focused on how individual susceptibility to addiction can be mitigated through “responsible gambling” (RG) tools, often developed in collaboration with the gambling industry. This approach not only allows gambling businesses to avoid external scrutiny and regulation but also places the burden of responsibility on individual gamblers.
For many years, player education was the cornerstone of RG initiatives, yet its effectiveness is not strongly supported by academic research. Alongside many other scholars, we advocate for more rigorous research on gambling harm that includes diverse disciplines and viewpoints.
The role of Critical Gambling Studies (CGS)
In 2018, we launched Critical Gambling Studies (CGS), an Open Access journal aimed at diversifying the academic foundation of global gambling research. Our editorial team and board members represent 14 different countries across Europe, North America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region, and they bring perspectives from a wide array of disciplines, including history, sociology, cultural studies, law, economics, public health, philosophy, political science, anthropology, architecture, and computer science.
In addition to peer-reviewed academic studies, CGS features a blog for the general public and commentary sections that allow experts, those with lived experience, and contributors from the Global South to add timely and focused insights to the knowledge base.
We also prioritize publishing special issues for early-career researchers and have a strong emphasis on Indigenous gambling in North America, where state-federal agreements often influence broader political and economic landscapes.
Informing national standards on gambling harm
Recent editions of CGS include international research in four key areas that could inform Canada’s efforts to establish national standards for preventing, diagnosing, and treating gambling harm.
First, the modern gambling industry is marked by rapid technological innovation and deep integration with various forms of entertainment and finance, including video gaming and cryptocurrencies. Policymakers need a better understanding of this integration to effectively predict, prevent, and address harm to communities and individuals. Examples of such integration include in-play betting on broadcast sports, celebrity gambling promotions, video games with gambling mechanics like loot boxes, esports betting, and sponsored slot promotions on social media platforms. Without acknowledging these entanglements with popular culture, key areas of harm may go unregulated.
Second, there is valuable research from other jurisdictions that Canada can learn from, particularly regarding the role of advertising, sponsorship, promotional deals, and branding. Critical research on marketing is essential for understanding how gambling has shifted from a stigmatized behavior to a normalized, everyday cultural practice, especially among younger generations, who are often the target market for gambling providers.
Recent articles in CGS have explored how gambling sponsors in the UK exploit loopholes to reach young audiences at football games and how a Swedish gambling provider uses nationalist imagery to promote gambling as both fun and patriotic.
Third, new tools for preventing gambling harm are being developed worldwide, and emerging research is beginning to evaluate their potential benefits and drawbacks. AI-powered tools designed to help players self-regulate their gambling are being touted as the latest advancement in RG. In some places, including the UK, data generated by players is being used to identify harmful gambling patterns through big data analytics, considering factors like location, income, and other relevant characteristics.
Lastly, to gain a comprehensive understanding of gambling harm, it is crucial to include perspectives beyond those of the gambling industry in law and policy discussions. For example, blogs and commentaries in CGS have invited video gamers with lived experience to challenge historical distortions and moral panic in portrayals of youth gaming as a “gateway” to gambling addiction.
CGS also sheds light on the evolving profile of gamblers and works to address the stigma faced by those harmed by gambling. The experiences of women, in particular, have been highlighted in CGS articles covering topics such as the impact of others’ gambling on women and memoirs of women in poker.
Acknowledgment
The authors acknowledge that Critical Gambling Studies is supported by funding from The Alberta Gambling Research Institute, hosted by the University of Alberta Libraries, and disseminated by Coalition Publica.
