Share 
Bonus TL;DR
- Provincial authorities are urged to issue cease-and-desist letters to media platforms carrying fake or unregulated gambling advertisements.
- A University of Toronto study revealed a 154% surge in gambling-related emergency room visits among young Ontario men.
Canadian provinces are being urged to take stronger action against fake and unregulated gambling ads, with Ontario and Alberta singled out as the most urgent cases because of their regulated iGaming markets.
A report published by Gaming News Canada says provinces should use cease-and-desist letters and public warnings to pressure social platforms, broadcasters, and offshore operators that carry or benefit from misleading gambling promotions. The piece argues the issue now includes both fake ads impersonating known brands and advertising for real but unregulated operators.
Fake ads and offshore brands remain visible in Canada
Among the examples cited is a deep-fake Instagram video linked to the father of Canadian soccer player Alphonso Davies that redirected users to Oxibet, a site based in Comoros and not regulated in Canada. The report also says fake ads using names such as Woodbine and other casino brands have circulated on social media since Ontario opened its regulated online gambling market in 2022.
It also points to advertising from unregulated operators on traditional broadcast platforms, including Ozoon during NFL broadcasts in Canada. The article describes Ozoon as the rebranded name for Bodog and notes that Bodog is completely banned in Manitoba.
The central recommendation is for provincial ministries of the Attorney General to send legal letters to platforms and broadcasters that allow fake ads or accept advertising from unregulated gambling sites. The report cites past action by U.S. state regulators against Bovada as an example of enforcement pressure that worked.
New Ontario research adds to player-protection concerns
The call for tougher enforcement comes alongside new findings from a University of Toronto study on gambling-disorder-related emergency department visits in Ontario before and after the province’s regulated sports betting and iGaming market launched in April 2022.
The study found that 750 Ontarians made 952 emergency department visits over 14 years in which gambling disorder was the main or a contributing reason. Nearly 75% of those patients were male. By the end of the study period, visits were 154% higher than expected among males aged 10 to 29 and 116% higher than expected among males aged 30 to 44. About 70% of visits also involved another mental health condition or substance use issue.
Sarah McCarthy of the Responsible Gambling Council said the findings help identify where harm is concentrated, adding that current results point to young men.
Ontario said it has invested $421 million since 2018 in responsible gambling education, awareness, research, and treatment, including $70.1 million over the last year. The province also highlighted BetGuard, iGaming Ontario’s centralized self-exclusion system. Alberta iGaming Corporation said studies like this can help strengthen responsible gambling supports and harm-reduction efforts in Alberta’s newly regulated market.
For players, the immediate issue is distinguishing regulated sites from fake or offshore offers. For regulators, the next question is whether provinces will move from public concern to formal enforcement against platforms, broadcasters, and operators tied to those ads.
Source: As reported by gamingnewscanada.ca.
