Survey finds majority of Canadians want immediate nationwide sports betting ad ban
New survey conducted by Maru Public Opinion shows 72% want to better protect young people from sports betting marketing
A new survey has found that 59% of Canadians support an immediate nationwide ban on sports betting advertising.
The survey, conducted by market research firm Maru Public Opinion, found this viewpoint was most likely to be held by those aged over 55, with 64% of the older demographic calling for this immediate ban, compared to 56% of the younger cohort.
This answer was also broken down by region, with those living in Atlantic Canada leading the way at 62%, followed by Quebec/Alberta at 60%, Manitoba/Saskatchewan at 59%, Ontario at 58%, and British Colombia at 56%.
The poll also found that seven in 10 Canadians want current athletes and celebrities banned from gambling advertising, and two-thirds of those surveyed believe ads should not be allowed during live sports broadcasts.
According to Maru, this opinion is likely to be held by males (67%), those aged over 55 (72%), with a university education (69%), and an income above C$100,000 (68%). When compared to other provinces in Canada, those in Atlantic Canada (78%) are most likely to share this viewpoint.
Elsewhere in the survey results, three-quarters of respondents say children and young people should be protected from sports betting adverts, and 72% fear young adults will amass large amounts of debt with the current availability of sports betting in Canada.
Just under two-thirds (62%) of people believe operators are not acting responsibly with their advertising at the moment, and just over half (53%) think there should be more government oversight and regulation of the ads.
One in six people surveyed say they have wagered online on a professional sporting event, with a third being young Canadians compared to 17% of those aged between 35 and 54. In terms of the gender split, 27% of men say they have bet online compared to 7% of women.
Of those who bet, 24% said that betting on sports makes them want to watch more sports.
The findings come from a survey of 1,534 Canadian adults who are Maru Voice Canada online panelists between February 7 and 8.
The legalized market went live in Ontario in April 2022. The latest handle figures released by iGaming Ontario, a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, reveal that sports betting accounted for C$3.1bn of Ontario’s C$17.2bn handle in Q3 2023.