National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act

Bill S-211, the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act, doesn't create new rules for gambling companies right away. Instead, it directs the federal Minister of Canadian Heritage to develop a national framework aimed at regulating sports betting advertising across Canada. This framework would look at ways to limit how, where, and how often sports betting ads appear, and could restrict or ban celebrities and athletes from promoting sports betting. It would also set national standards for preventing and treating gambling addiction and supporting people harmed by it, and would encourage research and information-sharing between governments on these issues.

To build this framework, the Minister must consult a wide range of people, including other federal ministers, provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities, medical and research experts, gambling and advertising industry representatives, sports and ethics organizations, and provincial gambling regulators. Within one year of the law taking effect, the Minister must produce and publicly release a report laying out the framework and a plan to implement it, and table it in Parliament. A follow-up report is required within five years, detailing which measures were actually put in place, how effective they were, and explaining any that weren't implemented.

Separately, the bill requires the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to review its own existing regulations and policies to see how well they address harms caused by the spread of sports betting advertising. The CRTC must send its findings and recommendations to the Minister within one year of the bill becoming law, and the Minister must then table that report in Parliament as well.

This bill requires the Minister of Canadian Heritage to develop a national framework on sports betting advertising and requires the CRTC to review its own regulations and policies against that framework's goals, with results reported to Parliament.

• New duties, not new regulator — the Act creates no enforcement body; it obliges the Minister to develop a framework and the Commission (the CRTC) to review its existing regulations and policies, without creating new regulatory powers over advertisers.
• Content of the framework is discretionary — the Minister decides the specific measures, which may include restricting, limiting the number/scope/location of, or banning sports betting ads, and limiting or banning celebrity/athlete participation in promotion, but the bill does not mandate any specific measure or set thresholds.
• Consultation list, not consent requirement — the Minister must consult a long list of other ministers, provincial/territorial representatives, stakeholders, Indigenous communities, and gaming regulators, but their input is not binding on the framework's final content.
• Reporting timeline — a report setting out the framework and an implementation strategy must be tabled in Parliament within one year of the Act coming into force and published online within 10 days of tabling; a further implementation report is due within five years of that tabling.
• Commission's review deadline — the CRTC must submit its findings and recommendations to the Minister within one year of royal assent, and the Minister must table that report in Parliament within 15 sitting days of receiving it.
• No enforcement or penalty provisions — the Act creates no new offences, fines, or compliance powers against broadcasters, advertisers, or gambling operators; its powers are limited to framework development, review, and parliamentary reporting.