The research, undertaken in 2023 by Dr Raffaello Rossi, Dr Jamie Wheaton and members of the Hub team in collaboration with CBC, monitored gambling-related marketing during the NHL and NBA broadcasts shown on TV in Ontario and across social media for five days. Its findings uncovered concerning trends, highlighting the prevalence of the issue and need for greater regulation.
The research revealed more than 4,100 gambling messages spread over just seven NHL and NBA matches. Most of the gambling messages (93.9%) during the coverage were clearly visible on the playing surface or on advertising hoardings. More than a fifth (21.6%) of the total duration of live broadcasts contained gambling logos or references to gambling, according to the study, and only a tiny fraction – less than 3% – featured harm reduction or age restriction messages.
The letter noted that “In 2024, CBC published a report indicating that up to one-fifth of televised sporting events contain ads for gambling sites. To put it another way, almost two innings of a baseball game are gambling ads: it is reaching the point where the ads are competing with the actual event, rather than supporting it.”