Promotion of sportsbooks by professional athletes, celebrities and cartoon characters will no longer be part of the betting landscape in Ontario after the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario released revised rules on Tuesday.
Among the existing promotions involving big-name athletes in Ontario are BetMGM’s deals with hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and Edmonton Oiler Connor McDavid, and Bet99’s deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews. McDavid and Matthews are among only a handful of active professional athletes in North America who have deals to promote sportsbooks.
The new rules go into effect Feb. 28, 2024, as the result of AGCO meetings with stakeholders who included many in the responsible gambling space, according to an AGCO press release. An exception is made for use of athletes to promote responsible gambling practices.
“Children and youth are heavily influenced by the athletes and celebrities they look up to,” AGCO Registrar and CEO Tom Mungham said. “We’re therefore increasing measures to protect Ontario’s youth by disallowing the use of these influential figures to promote online betting in Ontario.”