I had not really considered the prevalence of modern-day sports betting until my high school biology teacher told me about the Master’s thesis he was working on. It was an investigation of the progression of problem gambling, specifically surrounding those involved with online sports betting. “Haven’t you noticed how many ads there are for those betting apps lately?” he asked me.
It was after this conversation that I started to make note of the increase in advertisements for online betting apps during commercial breaks in hockey games. Eventually, they became impossible to ignore, seemingly infiltrating the culture of Canadian sports to its core. This major boom in marketing stemmed from the August 2021 legalization of sports betting in Canada, which has only grown more and more popular since. But why did Canada legalise online sportsbooks in the first place?
Prior to August 2021, sports betting itself was not entirely illegal in Canada. Canadians could legally wager parlays, but not single-game bets. Parlay bets require an individual to bet on two or more events; if one of their bets loses, the whole bet loses, making parlays much more difficult to win. Single-game bets depend on much more minute aspects of a game rather than which team wins or loses. Bettors can put money on how many saves a goalie makes, how many touchdowns a quarterback throws, or who will be the first player to score. Opening the online sports betting scene in Canada to single-game bets broadened the amount of bets people could make, and created an economic boom for the gaming industry.
Canadians spent an estimated $14 billion on offshore bets in the black and grey markets before legalization. This meant that this revenue could not be monitored or taxed by the government. Unregulated bets were entering a world of organised crime instead of being invested back into the Canadian economy, causing concern for lawmakers and businessmen alike. John Levy, CEO of online sportsbook theScore.com, said in a statement that the deregulation of single-game betting in Canada would “[benefit] all Canadians through the creation of much needed jobs, new revenue streams, and important consumer protections.”
While it is true that deregulating online gambling has brought thousands of jobs to Canada and boosted local economies, there have been significant social pitfalls. An estimated 70% of sports betting revenue comes from problem gamblers, making the online sports betting industry highly dependent on those struggling with addictions. In a way, placing bets on a game has become integrated with the game itself. It is pushed by betting companies as a thrilling way to heighten the stakes of the game, get involved with the action, and enhance the experience of watching your favourite sport in a much more personal way than simply watching your team lose. Instead, if something does not go the way you had planned, it does not only affect the players — your own money is on the line.
It is worth mentioning that Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately affected by gambling in general. According to Statistics Canada, 4.5% of Indigenous Peoples meet the criteria for problem gambling, a staggering rate that is three times higher than the non-Indigenous population. Furthermore, low-income populations are at a significantly higher risk of developing problematic gambling habits, as well as people who participate in heavy drinking. Those with poor mental health are also more vulnerable to falling victim to a gambling addiction. It does not come as a surprise to me that some of the most jeopardised demographics in Canada are significantly more likely to be sucked into the world of gambling.
Sports betting apps and sites have been promoted by iconic names in sports, such as Wayne Gretzky, Eli and Peyton Manning, and Auston Matthews. This marketing tactic appeals to not only adults willing to put their trust into familiar faces, but a younger audience that view these sporting legends as role models. The use of celebrities to promote sports betting apps was prohibited in Ontario in early 2024 due to pushback from organizations consisting of concerned parents, former politicians, and retired athletes. Yet it is not only during commercial breaks that online sportsbook advertisements are demanding your attention. Ads for betting sites can be found on the sidelines of the basketball court, the boards of a hockey game, or behind home plate on a baseball field. No matter how or where you choose to get your fix of sporting content, everyone is coming face-to-face with the new era of sports betting.
Compounding the issues that usually cause problem gambling is the new variable of accessibility. The never-ending expanse of the Internet combined with the dependence we have on it only contributes further to the problem of gambling as a whole, but sports betting specifically. Being able to carry around a phone with an app that allows you to bet any time and anywhere on any game is almost impossible to resist. Notifications popping up left and right, encouraging players to get back online and try their luck again, become hard to ignore.
It is also worth noting that the developers of betting sites have designed the apps to look similar to stock trading platforms and constantly flood bettors with information that you might find in any sports news column. To the non-betting sports watchers, they may seem like somewhat inconsequential facts on an athlete’s mental state or physical wellbeing. However, to the seasoned sports bettor, these updates are merely another factor to consider when making a bet on a game. These platforms are designed in a way that is highly intentional, making it seem as though the odds are in your favour.
With the development of artificial intelligence and algorithms, the ways in which online sportsbooks can draw in players are only increasing. In-app technology can determine when a player is likely to spend more based on past wins and losses, nudging them towards riskier bets with higher payouts. Companies also offer “free money” to gamblers to bet with in the form of deposit matching or payout boosters, making it seem as though it is impossible to lose when more money is continuously transferred to your account, only to be funneled right back into the gambling world.
An important factor in making sports betting safe for everyone is age verification. Online gambling websites, including those for sports betting, require an age verification process in order to operate legally. But what does this actually mean? While writing this article, I signed up for the betting site bet365. I was curious to see what this age verification actually looked like and how easy it would be to bypass. I was flabbergasted to find that all that was required of me was to input my birthdate. I was then able to access stats and odds that were available to account-holders only, as well as give my credit card or direct deposit information. A pop-up appeared as I explored the site, prompting me to undergo further age verification. However, all I had to do was click the ‘x’ in the corner and I was not bothered again.
Based on this information from my admittedly limited investigation on the site, I am not shocked that it is mostly people under 35 that are the most involved with online betting. In fact, it is estimated that an incredible one in five Ontario children aged nine to 17 have engaged in online gambling, and approximately 14.8% of Ontario teenagers participate in online gambling activity including casinos, poker, and sports betting.
Even if young people are not getting online to gamble themselves, they can still access content that depicts betting in an interactive and accessible setting. Websites like Twitch, Kick, and YouTube are filled with content of streamers gambling for hours at a time, egged on by their viewers. Celebrities that specifically focus on online content creation, such as Canadian streamer xQc, have also been leaning into online gambling as a way to draw in fans. In 2024, he unashamedly admitted to gambling nearly $3 billion on Stake.com, a popular offshore casino based in Curacao. With a fanbase consisting largely of children, this sort of reckless abandon being shared online that occasionally results in success can be tantalizing and irresistible.
Concerningly, research has shown that children who are introduced to some sort of gambling before age 12 are four times more likely to become problem gamblers later in life. There has not been enough research on the effects of sports betting exposure specifically on children, but based on past findings, it is not far off to believe that it has negative developmental effects.
My only experience of betting that resembled using an online sportsbook involved betting dimes on chuckwagon races with my mom and my old dance teacher. It was simple fun with no stakes except for bragging rights, but in retrospect I realise just how thrilling the adrenaline from those little wagers was. I can easily understand the thrill of winning hundreds, even thousands of dollars on a bet and feeling the need to test your luck even further, because winning dimes over multi-coloured wagons had me feeling like my luck would never run out. If I was so enthralled with something so simple, I cannot imagine how easy it would be to become enveloped in the flashy world of real sports betting.
Much like drinking and smoking, gambling is a pastime that should be experienced in moderation. While I have never placed a bet on a sports betting website myself (but considered doing so in writing this article), I do have friends who have engaged with the online sports betting ecosystem in the past. In fact, I had not realized just how many people in my social circle have wagered on their team’s odds before I mentioned this article in conversation around the dinner table. I was truly amazed that some of the last people I expected to make bets on games had actually quit because “I ran out of money!”
I found this equal parts amusing and surprising. I did not expect so many people that I knew to be involved with the hobby. Maybe I should not have been so shocked to hear that all sorts of people I surround myself with have dabbled in online betting. After all, this new era of betting has dominated the sporting world, and by the looks of it, it is not going anywhere anytime soon.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling addiction, please do not hesitate to reach out for help. The following resources are available for people struggling with problem gambling in British Columbia and Canada:
British Columbia 24-hour gambling support line: 1-888-795-6111
Gambling support B.C.: www.gamblingsupportbc.ca
The Responsible Gambling Council, an independent non-profit supporting people with gambling addictions across Canada: www.responsiblegambling.org/for-the-public/problem-gambling-help
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