Canada's Sports Betting Ad Bill Reaches House Report Stage

Canada's federal sports betting advertising bill has reached the report stage in the House of Commons. The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage presented its report on the amended Bill S-211 on November 4. That report followed the committee's clause-by-clause review on November 3.

Committee members changed the bill's deadline, consultation rules, and lead minister. They also rejected a Conservative proposal that would have required the framework to ban in-game betting ads. The bill must still clear the report stage and third reading in the House before returning to the Senate.

What the Committee Changed in Bill S-211

The committee adopted several Liberal amendments before reporting the bill back to the House. Its biggest change doubles the framework deadline from one year to two. Consultation with other governments and stakeholders is also now optional.

Under the amended text, the minister "may consult" those groups instead of being required to. Responsibility for the framework no longer sits automatically with the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Instead, the Governor in Council, in practice the federal cabinet, can designate one or more ministers to lead it.

Members also replaced "national standards" on gambling harm with "clinical practice guidelines." The final report must now be published within 15 days, up from 10. Committee members passed the bill "on division," meaning some dissented but no recorded vote was taken.

In-Game Ad Ban Rejected, but Framework Can Still Limit Ads

Conservative MP Andrew Lawton proposed an amendment requiring the framework to ban in-game betting ads. Liberal MP Fares Al Soud argued that the change would reduce the framework's flexibility. The committee voted down the amendment, along with other Conservative proposals.

Amy Awad of Canadian Heritage also warned that prescriptive wording could influence how the framework is developed. "Broad language allows for anything to be put in," she said. Lawton, for his part, has stressed the bill's limited scope. "This is a bill that creates a report; it's not a ban on sports betting advertising," he said.

Even without a ban, the framework must identify measures to limit the number, scope, or location of betting ads. Those measures could include restricting or banning celebrity and athlete endorsements.

Bill S-211's Path to Royal Assent and Provincial Pushback

Senator Marty Deacon introduced the bill in the Senate in May 2025. The upper chamber passed it at third reading on October 21, 2025. MPs then approved it at second reading by a 291-28 vote on April 22, 2026.

Waterloo MP Bardish Chagger is sponsoring the bill in the House. If the House adopts the committee's changes, senators must review the amended version. Both chambers must agree on a final version before the bill can receive royal assent.

Meanwhile, Ontario and Alberta, Canada's two open iGaming markets, oppose the bill. Alberta has called federal involvement in betting advertising rules an overreach. Even if it passes, the bill would not ban sports betting ads outright. Instead, it would require a federal framework and a public report.