Ontario gambling regulator calls on media to stop promoting illegal sites
Ontario’s gambling regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, has urged media platforms in the province to stop the promotion of unregulated gambling sites.
The Commission specifically mentioned betting company Bodog, an offshore operator that has actively targeted Ontario residents through advertising campaigns.
Although Bodog has blocked players based in Nova Scotia and Quebec from accessing its site, it has not blocked Ontario customers.
According to Ontario’s Gaming Control Act of 1992, gambling sites such as Bodog must register with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and sign an agreement with iGaming Ontario.
This would involve signing up to a series of rules on game integrity, information privacy, and player protection. Bodog has not done so, and Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has now written to traditional and digital media operators in the province to urge them not to accept advertising from Bodog or other overseas gambling companies.
Explaining their decision to appeal directly to media companies, the Chief Executive and Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission, Dr Karin Schnarr, said it was an opportunity for media companies to contribute to player safety.
“By refusing to carry advertising from unregulated and high-risk operators like Bodog, media organizations can exemplify social responsibility and play an important role in protecting Ontarians and supporting Ontario’s regulated market,” Schnarr said.
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Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
