Canadian lawmakers advance Bill S-211 to restrict gambling ads in sports broadcasts

Canadian legislators are considering Bill S-211, which would restrict gambling advertising during sports broadcasts. The bill is due to undergo its third and final reading this month, according to the source. Leaders in Ontario and Alberta have opposed the bill.

Research cited in the source found that Canadian viewers saw around 3,000 gambling advertisements during NHL playoff broadcasts in 2026. The figure covered traditional advertisements, advertisements incorporated into broadcasts, and branding on boards and equipment. A separate study of another set of NHL games in 2024 found two to three gambling advertisements per minute.

Bill S-211 has the backing of the Canadian Mental Health Association and Public Health Physicians of Canada. According to the source, that support stems from worry about how gambling affects mental health and financial well-being. The report further notes that the link between gambling addiction and suicide in Canada has grown worse over recent years.

The source states that the proposed restrictions could affect advertising associated with women's hockey, though the studies it references centre on the NHL. The PWHL has not reached the NHL's level of sports betting participation or gambling advertising, but its television coverage and existing partnerships place women's hockey within the discussion.

In 2024, FanDuel signed on as an official PWHL partner, and the deal brought livestreams of games to its app. Dale Hooper, who serves as general manager of FanDuel Canada, said at the time that the partnership was intended to back the league's athletes, deepen engagement with hockey fans and raise the profile of women's professional sports. The sportsbook's current odds make the Minnesota Frost the favourite for the 2026-27 Walter Cup; Boston, Montreal and Detroit share equal odds behind them, and the Toronto Sceptres hold the longest odds.

The Ottawa Charge named Hard Rock Hotel & Casino as its exclusive physical casino partner in 2025, an agreement that included promotional activities inside the arena. The source describes the in-arena activities as another way gambling businesses have established a promotional presence around women's professional hockey.