An Ontario Liberal MPP introduced the Stop Harmful Gambling Advertising Act, a bill that would prohibit licensed online gambling operators and their marketing partners from advertising to Ontario residents. Ontario became the first Canadian province to introduce a privatized iGaming market in 2022, and the only one to date, with Alberta set to follow suit later in the year amid pending federal regulation.
Key Takeaways:
Ontario Bill 107 would ban online gambling ads across TV, social media, and paid sponsorships. Fines reach C$1 million; second conviction triggers license revocation. Ontario PCs hold 80 seats; Liberals hold 14, making passage unlikely. A Legislative Backlash to the 2022 PrivatizationFairclough has argued that gambling platforms could be “supercharging” addiction, pointing to the ubiquity of promotional content as a driver of normalization. The bill draws an explicit parallel with tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis – each subject to advertising restrictions in Canada.
Per the bill draft, individuals convicted of breaching the advertising prohibition would face fines of up to C$100,000, while corporate violators could be liable for up to C$1 million. A second conviction triggers mandatory revocation of a supplier’s registration, designed to prevent operators from treating financial penalties as a cost of doing business.
The Canadian Gaming Association issued a statement on April 22 opposing Bill 107, arguing that Ontario’s existing framework already constitutes “some of the most rigorous marketing regulations in North America.” Licensed operators are already barred from advertising promotional bonuses outside their own websites, apps, and direct customer channels, and are prohibited from marketing to high-risk cohorts, minors, or self-excluded players.
As the regulatory discussion continues on a federal and provincial level alike, Alberta is set to become the second Canadian province to launch a competitive iGaming market in July.
