Feature: Is regulating betting advertising the federal government’s responsibility?

The legislation that would task the federal government with establishing national guidelines for regulating sports betting advertising may have been approved by the Senate two years in a row, but not all Canadian politicians in Parliament are convinced it’s the right way to go.

Bill S-211 would mandate the Minister of Canadian Heritage to consult with federal and provincial government representatives and a range of stakeholders to develop nationwide standards. Particular focuses would be on identifying measures to restrict ads as deemed appropriate, assessing ways to promote research and intergovernmental information-sharing and establishing guidelines for the prevention and diagnosis of gambling harms and addiction.

Last week, the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act got its first lengthy presentation since it passed the Senate in October, as members of the House of Commons offered their thoughts to start the second reading process.

Sports betting hindsight and fore..