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Bill 107, Stop Harmful Gambling Advertising Act, 2026

Fairclough, Lee

Blais, Stephen

Fraser, John

Hsu, Ted

Current status:

Second Reading Vote

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Bill 107 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill amends the Gaming Control Act, 1992 to

prohibit a person who operates an electronic gaming site, or any person acting

on such a person’s behalf, from advertising or otherwise promoting the site or anything

that is offered or made available on the site, subject to certain exceptions. The

amendments include providing that a person who fails to comply with the

prohibition is guilty of an offence under the Act and, if convicted, is liable

to a fine. A person’s registration as a supplier is revoked upon their second or

subsequent conviction.

Bill 107 2026

Act to amend the Gaming Control Act, 1992

Preamble

Addiction

to online gambling is an emerging public health crisis in Ontario – the only

province that has privatized online gambling in the country. ConnexOntario,

Ontario’s mental health and addictions helpline, experienced a 144 per cent

increase in calls following the privatization of online gambling in Ontario in

April 2022, with significant increases in gambling-related calls from

adolescent boys and men aged 15 to 24.

Online

gaming is the most common type of gambling mentioned by callers to

ConnexOntario, with 76 per cent of gambling-related contacts linked to online

gambling between April 2022 and September 2025.

Mental

health and addictions experts in Ontario have called for stronger restrictions

on gambling advertising to address rising gambling addiction.

Gambling

can be an addictive activity comparable to consuming alcohol, tobacco and

cannabis, for which there are advertising restrictions. One in three Canadian

adults aged 18 to 29 reported gambling online, and one in four young adults who

gamble report experiencing a high level of gambling-related harms. Those

struggling with gambling addiction are also more at risk of suicidal ideation.

The

proliferation of gambling advertising normalizes gambling and corrupts the

integrity and culture of sports. Banning the advertising of electronic gambling

sites is therefore in the public interest to protect public health.

Therefore,

His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of

the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

The Gaming Control Act, 1992 is amended by adding

the following section:

Definition

(1) In

this section,

“electronic

gaming site” has the same meaning as in the iGaming

Ontario Act, 2024 .

Prohibition

re advertising

(2) A

person who operates an electronic gaming site, or any person acting on such a

person’s behalf, shall not advertise or otherwise promote the electronic gaming

site or anything that is offered or made available on the site.

Exception

(3) Subsection

(2) does not apply to,

(

a) the

sale or distribution of imported publication or the retransmission of radio or

television broadcasts that originate outside Ontario if the purpose of the

distribution or retransmission is not promoting an electronic gambling site;

(

b) a

literary, dramatic, musical, cinematographic, scientific, educational or

artistic work, production or performance that uses or depicts electronic

gambling or an electronic gambling site-related brand element, whatever the

mode or form of its expression, if no consideration is given by a manufacturer

or retailer, directly or indirectly, for that use or depiction in the work,

production or performance; or

(

c) a

report, commentary or opinion in respect of an electronic gambling site if no

consideration is given by a manufacturer or retailer, directly or indirectly,

for the reference to the electronic gambling site in that report, commentary or

opinion.

(1) Subsection 46 (2) of the Act is amended by striking out “or (7),

3.6 (6)” and substituting “or (7), 3 (2), 3.6 (6)”.

(2) Subsection

46 (5) of the Act is amended by striking out “section 2 or 18” and substituting

“section 2, 3 or 18”.

(3) Section

46 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsections:

Penalty,

offence re advertising

(5.2) A

person who is convicted of an offence with respect to

section 3 is liable to a

fine of not more than $100,000 in the case of an individual or not more than

$1,000,000 in the case of a corporation.

Revocation

on second or subsequent conviction

(5.3) If

a person is convicted of an offence with respect to

section 3 a second or

subsequent time, the Registrar shall make an order to revoke their

registration, and

section 13 does not apply in such circumstances.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Stop Harmful Gambling

Advertising Act, 2026 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

May 14, 2026

Second Reading

Vote

Lost on division

May 13, 2026

Second Reading

Question put

Vote deferred

May 13, 2026

Second Reading

Debated

April 20, 2026

First Reading

Ordered for Second Reading

April 20, 2026

First Reading

Vote

Carried

First Reading

April 20, 2026

Carried

Ordered for Second Reading

Second Reading

May 13, 2026

Blais, Stephen

Orléans

Bowman, Stephanie

Don Valley West

Clancy, Aislinn

Kitchener Centre

Clark, Steve

Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes

Denault, Billy

Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke

Fairclough, Lee

Etobicoke—Lakeshore

Fraser, John

Ottawa South

Gélinas, France

Nickel Belt

Hsu, Ted

Kingston and the Islands

Lennox, Robin

Hamilton Centre

Shaw, Sandy

Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas

Watt, Tyler

Nepean

Question put

May 14, 2026

Lost on division