No more sports betting ads on Leafs games in Ontario

This just in, the province of Ontario is making a move to ban online gambling commercials featuring celebrity spokespersons. This means that if you live in Ontario the ads you're used to watching during Sportsnet broadcasts for the likes of Bet653, MGM and DraftKings are GONE!

Thank Jesus! Thank Allah! Thank Buddah!

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) states that the ban will come into effect at the end of February, 2024. The ACGO says that the ban will “help safeguard children and youth who can be particularly susceptible to such advertising content.”

The ACGO says that the proposal comes after they received significant criticism from advocates, parents and sports fans about the sharp rise in online gambling advertisements during Sportsnet NHL broadcasts. For example, CP24.com reports that during a 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs match between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers that there were nearly 10 minutes of online gambling ads shown to viewers over the course of the game. Something had to give...

Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews, Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, are among high-profile athletes who have starred in recent online sports-betting promotions. Their commercials will no longer be allowed to be shown in Ontario after February.