Online gambling is booming ahead of Super Bowl. So, experts say, is the risk to public health – CBC
Recent report says harms to health, well-being from gambling ‘more substantial than previously understood’
Feb 07, 2025
With football fans expected to wager billions of dollars on this year’s Super Bowl, experts are urging governments to reduce the public health harms that come with the rapidly growing gambling industry.
The American Gaming Association estimates American fans alone will bet a record $1.39 billion US on this year’s game. The growth is a sign, the AGA said in a news release, of “the continued expansion and enthusiasm around the legal sports betting market.”
That enthusiasm exists in Canada too.
The Canadian government legalized single-event sports betting in 2021 and Ontario legalized online betting in 2022, opening the door to private online gambling companies to operate there.
Some off-shore companies offer betting apps, accessible in most provinces, but they are not regulated.
“Sports betting now is so intertwined with sports as a whole, you can’t watch an entire game without seeing an ad,” said Jeremy Alleyne, 36, a basketball coach near Toronto.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/super-bowl-sports-betting-health-1.7451573
