What Happened

The 2021 amendment to Canada’s Criminal Code (Bill C-218) eliminated the prohibition on single-event sports betting. Previously, only parlay betting was permitted under provincial lottery frameworks. With single-event wagering now permitted, provinces moved to launch sports betting products, and Ontario’s competitive market made it the jurisdiction where multiple private sportsbook operators entered the Canadian market.

Why It Matters

Sports betting is commercially significant and culturally prominent. The volume of advertising by sports betting operators since market launch has been a major feature of Ontario media landscape. Understanding the regulatory context for sports betting — including who regulates it, what restrictions apply, and how the market is performing — is an important public interest topic.

What iGO reports: iGaming Ontario’s quarterly reports include aggregate wagering and revenue figures that encompass sports betting alongside online casino. The reports do not break out sports betting versus casino revenue in the same level of detail that some stakeholders have requested.

The advertising presence: Sports betting advertising in Ontario has been prominent across television, digital, and out-of-home channels. The AGCO’s advertising standards apply to sports betting products as to other iGaming products, including the prohibition on active-athlete endorsements and the requirements around inducement marketing.

Sports integrity: Sports betting creates sports integrity concerns — specifically, the risk that access to wagering markets creates incentives for match-fixing or manipulation. Ontario’s regulated market operators are subject to requirements to monitor wagering patterns and report suspicious activity. Coordination with sports leagues and integrity organizations is an ongoing operational requirement.

Responsible gambling in sports betting: Research has noted that sports betting may engage different harm pathways than traditional casino gambling — faster betting cycles, in-play wagering options, and the “near miss” dynamics of close-game outcomes. Whether AGCO’s standards specifically calibrate responsible gambling requirements to sports betting product characteristics has been a question raised by public health researchers.

What’s Next

The sports betting market in Ontario continues to evolve as operators compete for market share, develop product features, and navigate AGCO requirements. Policy debates about whether advertising restrictions for sports betting should be tightened further — comparable to restrictions on tobacco advertising — continue in public discourse. The federal government has signalled awareness of these concerns but has not proposed federal-level advertising restrictions.

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