The matter of more mainstream media misinformation
The Toronto Star is the latest to weigh in with an inaccurate piece about the volume of gambling ads. Also, FanDuel becomes a partner of the PWHL, which begins Season 2 Saturday.
The mainstream media is at it again, railing against the gambling sector and using misinformation — particularly about gambling advertising — to form a major part of their argument that the industry needs to be reined in.
The latest culprit is The Toronto Star. On Wednesday, the paper published an op/ed by Calgary-based writer and editor Mark Hill entitled “Endless gambling ads are ruining the experience of watching sports.”
In the second paragraph, Hill writes:
It’s been more than three years since sports gambling was legalized in Canada, and the advertising deluge has yet to slow. Pre-game and post-game broadcasts are sponsored by gambling companies, and their commercials dominate ad breaks. Their logos are slathered over jerseys and stadiums, gambling stats appear during play and, most insidiously, commentators routinely inform you of how much money you could make if you grab your phone and gamble right now.
Too bad much of that isn’t true and simply perpetuates lazy media reporting on the volume of gambling ads, which actually have decreased in volume in Canada and only make up a small percentage of total advertising during sporting events.
As Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) CEO Paul Burns told Steve McAllister for a recent Gaming News Canada Show podcast, the CGA commissioned Vivvix/Media Radar to study the volume of gambling ads in 2022 and 2023 when such ads would have been at their peak during the new market customer acquisition rush.
Vivvix/Media Radar reported that:
• During NHL broadcasts, only 6% of the ads were for online gambling, a number that dropped to 4% during NBA broadcasts.
• Online gambling ads represented only 2% of all TV ads.
• Viewers were three times more likely to see automotive or financial services ads than gambling ads.
• When compared to other key categories, online gambling represents an 8% share of total media ad spend.
Sounds more like a light rain than a deluge.
Hill’s assertion about the insidious commentators routinely informing viewers of “how much money you could make if you grab your phone and gamble right now” is particularly problematic. I have never once heard a broadcaster say anything like that and my strong guess is the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) would have had something to say about it if a broadcaster had something like that on behalf of an operator.
Don’t let the facts get in the way . . . oh, never mind.
This is just the latest in recent mainstream media pieces from prominent journalistic outlets that have relied on faulty or old information when covering Canada’s gambling industry. As we pointed out in Canadian Content, the CBC, Globe and Mail and Global News have been guilty of lazy reporting, too.
The two biggest errors the mainstream media continues to perpetuate are:
1. Referencing a huge volume of gambling ads without proof or metrics or comparative numbers for ads for other products or services.
2. Confusing a regulated gambling market with illegal gambling. A main goal of a regulated market is to better protect consumers who are gambling regardless of whether a legal option exists or not.
Yes, Hill raises some valid concerns about the impact gambling can have on those that develop a problem. Reducing gambling harm should always be the top priority in a regulated industry. Sadly, he seems to be trying to tie problem gambling to a falsehood that we’re all being “bombarded by gambling ads.” As such, it weakens his whole argument.
Breaking news: FanDuel becomes official partner of the Professional Women’s Hockey League
FanDuel is announcing this morning that it is becoming an official sportsbook partner of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and the league’s exclusive in-app streaming partner in the United States.
The deal will allow PWHL fans to stream up to 90 regular season games and the playoffs live on the FanDuel app.
FanDuel will also offer PWHL wagering throughout the season, which begins Year 2 Saturday with Boston Fleet visiting the Toronto Sceptres, and the Ottawa Charge hosting the Montreal Victoire. That includes player props, novelty bets, Same Game Parlays and more.
“FanDuel is proud to partner with the PWHL and support the league’s incredible athletes,” said Dale Hooper, general manager of FanDuel Canada via a press release. “This partnership is about creating a new era of fan engagement—one that brings hockey closer to fans while helping grow the visibility of women’s professional sports.”
Fate of Ontario DFS and poker is now in the hands of the judges
The court case that will determine the fate of daily fantasy sports and, perhaps, online poker in Ontario wrapped up three days of arguments on Thursday in Toronto.
A decision is now in the hands of a five-judge panel of the Ontario Court of Appeal. It will be at least weeks and likely months before there is a decision.
As Gaming News Canada reported on Wednesday, the province has asked the court for an opinion on the following:
Would legal online gaming and sports betting remain lawful under the Criminal Code if its users were permitted to participate in games and betting involving individuals outside of Canada? If not, to what extent?
Essentially, the province wants to know if it is legal for Ontario gambling operators to offer common betting pools beyond the province’s borders. As it stands, Ontario-only pools are too small to attract enough players and money to the pools, driving some DFS and poker players in Ontario to illegal markets.
Covers’ senior news analyst Geoff Zochodne covered the court hearings and wrote yesterday that:
The Court of Appeal has a lot to chew on, as it was presented numerous arguments this week by lawyers for the Ontario government, its allies, and those who oppose the province’s plan.
One of Ontario’s opponents is a familiar face, as it also opposed the province’s iGaming model overall in a lawsuit that was dismissed earlier this year. This time around, though, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is taking issue with Ontario’s proposal to pool its iGaming ‘liquidity’ with that of other countries. The MCK, which has long regulated and operated online gambling from its reserve to the south of Montreal, says Ontario’s model would be illegal because it would not be ‘in’ Ontario.
GME law’s legal assistant / translator / court reporter Daniel Trujillo has also been covering the hearings.
As of our press time on Thursday evening, Trujillo had published accounts of the first two days of the hearing on the GME website.
From Day 1, Trujillo wrote:
The Court raised a critical question: how would Ontario players be safeguarded against money laundering, cheating, and fraud when participating in games with players from other jurisdictions if iGO does not impose the rules for foreign operators?
The province explained that there would be two regulatory systems interacting with each other: Ontario’s Model [regulated and protected by AGCO] and the foreign scheme overseen by the foreign regulator. To ensure the operability of these two schemes, [iGaming Ontario] and the foreign operator would need to enter contractual agreements to mutually set the rules required for the operation. Through these agreements, the province can potentially ensure that the minimum expectations to protect Ontarians are satisfied.”
On Day 2, Trujillo wrote that a number of Canadian lottery corporations argued against allowing Ontario to offer pools extending beyond its borders.
Ultimately the Lotteries argued that conducting and managing a scheme in the province is not the same as doing so from the province, like Ontario plans to do.
Bill restricting gambling ads increasingly unlikely to pass
Swinging back to gambling ads for a second, it looks increasingly unlikely Senate Bill S-269 will pass in the House of Commons before next year’s election.
The bill aims to establish a national framework on online gambling advertising.
First, the House is in the midst of an impasse between the Liberals and Conservatives, which means little work is getting done. Now, a new, higher priority has been raised with U.S. president elect Donald Trump threatening to slap 25% tariffs on Canadian goods. That will require some major focus of the politicians in the next year, which will be much more important than a bill on gambling restrictions.
Besides, if the bill doesn’t pass, as the CGA’s Burns mentioned on the Gaming News Canada Show, many of the proposed restrictions already exist, making further rules unnecessary.
BCLC’s Ryan McCarthy talks responsible gambling on latest GNC podcast
This seems like a good time to mention Ryan McCarthy, the Director of Player Health for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, is the latest guest on the Gaming News Canada podcast.
You can also listen to the conversation on your preferred podcast app.
McCarthy joined GNC editor Steve McAllister this week for a wide-ranging conversation that included thoughts on advancements in responsible gambling initiatives, BCLC’s acclaimed GameSense program also being used by MGM and others, and BCLC’s big win at the World Lottery Association annual global summit in Paris where the corporation was honoured with the Best Flagship Responsible Gaming Award – Level 4
The two Macs also spoke about artificial intelligence and the collaboration between player health advocates, revenue teams and others within BCLC to balance growing the business while prioritizing protecting customers.
While you’re at it, why not take a deep dive into some of the most popular and recent Gaming News Canada shows from the past few months, including:
Sporttrade’s Journey: CEO Alex Kane on Innovating Sports Betting in the U.S. and Beyond 🎙️ 🎥
Grand Slam of Curling gets together with ALT Sports Data on sports betting deal, and more 🎙️ 🎥
CGA's Paul Burns on Bill S-269, Media Research, and iGO’s Next Leader 🎙️ 🎥
Inside the high-stakes shakeup with gambling affiliates 🎙️ 🎥
Sports Interaction goes NHL Coast to Coast on Amazon Prime Video 🎙️🎥
Bell bids adieu to MLSE ownership stake, leaving Rogers with majority 🎙️ 🎥
Those aren’t pillows . . . Happy belated Thanksgiving to our U.S. friends
Wednesday was my first time authoring the Gaming News Canada newsletter and I regret not wishing our American friends a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving in advance.
So, happy belated Thanksgiving from one great (and much missed) Canadian to all of you south of the border. I hope you made it home in time for dinner.
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