Since the passing of Bill C-218 the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, countless hours have been spent by regulators to develop standards and prescriptive operator agreements to help protect consumers as well as prevent potential loss of earnings to the unregulated “grey” market which is increasingly seeping into our borders and diverting Canadian dollars offshore. Ahead of the April 4, 2022 launch of the regulated iGaming market in Ontario, IAB Canada joined forces with thinkTV to host a “Responsible Advertising for iGaming” webinar this week to help the advertising industry make informed decisions as we begin to work with operators in the sector.  

Over 600 attendees dialed in to hear experts from the Canadian Gaming Association, The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario (iGO), discuss the current landscape, rigorous advertising and compliance standards that operators must meet, as well as the pre-clearance process for broadcast advertising in this space. The panelists were faced with many questions and one message was resoundingly clear – registered operators are “it”. Publishers accepting ad dollars from gaming operators in this province should ensure they are working with those who are registered and compliant.  

To help our industry, get this right we have created the IAB Canada iGaming resource centre. Here you will find a recording of the full webinar, links to the individual presentations, access to the AGCO framework, the iGO brand guide and marketing and advertising requirements (that operators must follow) as well as other useful and relevant information that we will update on an ongoing basis. 

It is clear that the topic of iGaming is rife with considerations for all stakeholders. IAB Canada will be exploring some of the implications to brand safety and any self-regulatory steps we should consider to ensure sustainability.

If you are an IAB Canada member and would like to join the conversation on iGaming please reach out to policy@iabcanada.com