Alberta Gambling Ad Surge Raises Concerns

Alberta’s regulated online gambling market has triggered a sharp rise in advertising across billboards, buses, television and social media. More than 20 registered sites can operate in the province, raising concerns among addiction specialists about potential harm to vulnerable people.

Dr. Shawn Kelly, an adolescent addiction medicine specialist with the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine, warned about the exposure facing young people.

“Adolescents are developmentally vulnerable and at risk of developing things like substance use disorder and (other) harms from gambling,” Kelly said.

“Their brains are not the same as young adult brains and we can’t simply educate them out of this sort of behaviour,” she added.

University of Alberta marketing professor Katie Mehr said competition between operators has helped drive the advertising volume.

“If there are a couple of companies that are big players here and one of them is doing advertisements everywhere, the others feel like they have to make sure they don’t lose out,” Mehr said.

Alberta Sets Advertising Restrictions

Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally said operators cannot use professional athletes or celebrities to encourage betting or target youth and people experiencing gambling harm.

“They cannot target youth or those experiencing gambling harm,” Nally said. “If further action is needed to protect Albertans, we’ll look into potential next steps.”

Dan Keene, CEO of the Alberta iGaming Corporation, said ads cannot target minors or vulnerable people and cannot feature minors or “people who appear to be minors.” Advertising must also avoid being “false, deceptive, misleading.”

Operators face restrictions on youth-oriented themes and celebrities, while bonuses, credits, free bets and other inducements require consent for direct marketing.

Nally defended advertising as part of the effort to compete with illegal gambling operators.

“If we have an environment where the responsible operators can't actually advertise and compete against the black market, then they're not going to be successful,” he said.

“We know that the best way to deal with the black market is to have a healthy, regulated legal market, and that includes allowing them to advertise.”

Experts Urge Additional Safeguards

University of Alberta psychology professor Carrie Shaw said advertising can inadvertently normalize gambling among vulnerable people. She also stressed that online betting remains continuously accessible.

“There's times where the casino is closed. However, online gambling doesn't have that open and closed time, so it's readily available 24/7,” Shaw said.

Shaw said Ontario saw more calls from youths and parents to gambling helplines after its regulated market launched in 2022.

Alberta directs 100% of gross online gambling revenue toward problem gambling programs, resources and treatment, while two per cent goes to Indigenous initiatives. The province also introduced system-wide self-exclusion from gambling websites and physical casinos.

Leif Gregersen, an Alberta author who has experienced gambling addiction, questioned whether self-exclusion would provide enough protection.

Officials expect advertising levels to decline and say they will consider further measures if concerns continue.

Source:

“Addiction experts say recent flood of gambling ads a problem for some Albertans”, globalnews.ca, August 6, 2026