The online casino industry in Canada is constantly growing with record-breaking revenues rising each year. Since 2008, the regulatory space has evolved in many different aspects, making all the players safer and less likely to be exploited. One of the primary priorities for regulatory bodies was responsible gambling. In this article, we discuss this concept, what kinds of changes Canadian players can expect in 2024, and how those changes can positively affect their gaming sessions and overall safety on gambling platforms.
What is Responsible Gambling?
First and foremost, we need to take a look at and examine why responsible gambling as an idea even exists and how it grew to be at the forefront of the regulated iGaming industry. It’s no secret that this hobby brings plenty of risks for players participating in all the entertaining activities.
Over the years, we’ve seen an exponential increase in addiction since casino games became available on the internet. Given that so many new people were trying gambling for the first time, a lot of them weren’t prepared and taught about valuable safety guidelines and inherent risks.
This was a very serious issue, as gaming addiction carries serious consequences to a person’s life and well-being. There are numerous financial and mental problems associated with high-risk behavior, which is why it was necessary for legal bodies to implement gambling help, prevention, and protection measures for players and operators alike.
That’s where the concept of safe gambling came into play.In essence, it is a set of regulatory rules and initiativesput in place so that every consumer can remain as safe as possible while gambling online. These measures included a range of responsible tools for players, underage gaming prevention, assistance platforms, advice, and many more.
Regulatory bodies implement responsible gambling requirements that licensed and regulated platforms must meet. They also ensure that players experience fair and truly random outcomes of games so that malicious brands cannot exploit them by tampering with the software.
Considering all of this, it is important to mention that the responsibility doesn’t solely rely on regulatory bodies and casino brands. Gamblers themselves need to be aware of all the possible dangers, ensuring they do everything possible to avoid them.
In recent months, we’ve seen many changes and additions to the responsible gaming systems in Canada. Let’s examine if any of these were substantial and how they can affect you as a casino player.
Stricter Advertisement Rules
At the beginning of April 2022, wagering on single-game sports events was finally legalized in Canada, and that led to an exponential increase in sports betting advertisements across every sort of media, especially during the live matches themselves.
This issue became very problematic amongst people, as sports events aren’t only watched by adults but also by an enormous amount of underage individuals. The concern is that children and teenagers are very impressionable and could fall for marketing tactics devised by brands.
Many claimed that the sportsbooks deliberately targeted the underage demographic since many used popular celebrities and athletes as spokespeople for their platforms. The disapproval from the general public was proven by the recent Maru polls which indicated that a majority of Ontarians are against these types of advertisements.
As a consequence of the polls, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario imposed new regulations regarding marketing. The rules prohibit brands from using celebrities and athletes in their promotions, which is supposed to mitigate further their impact on young and impressionable people.
Be that as it may, it’s very important to note that online influencers were an exception to this regulation, which raises many questions. As you probably already know, the youngest generations are generally more inclined to have affinities toward internet personalities. This is why plenty of Canadians would agree that this exception defeats the purpose of the newly added rule.
Additionally, the new measures restrict billboard advertising near locations with plenty of children such as schools and parks. When we consider everything, these are all good steps that the regulatory bodies are taking, as it’s pivotal that we protect those most vulnerable.
A specific event that many found ironic was BetMGM’s recent switch of Connor McDavid’s role in their campaigns. The famous athlete used to advertise the platform’s sportsbook offerings, but since the recent regulations took place, he was switched over to be their spokesperson for televised responsible gambling ads.
This spiked a lot of controversy in both casino and sports communities, as the act seemed very disingenuous and still possibly aimed at reaching younger demographics. We hope other platform brands look at this mishap and decide not to use this marketing route.
Larger Investments
Besides regulators focusing on eliminating predatory marketing tactics, the Ontario Gaming and Lottery Commission also plans to invest a considerable amount of resources and money into the Community Investment Programme, directly impacting gambling responsibility.
The announcement claimed that the current goal is to develop a centralized self-exclusion tool that could benefit players and casino brands alike. By doing this, anyone who has a problem could easily prevent themselves from causing any further damage.
This also allows operators and regulators to have information about self-excluded players across the province. Every investment in safety tools can significantly decrease addiction cases and potentially save many lives.
Since the legalization of single-event wagering in Canada, the industry has seen massive increases in revenues across the board, especially in Ontario. This rise also resulted in more taxes being paid, which allowed for more significant investments in the responsible gambling department.
In summary, the expansion of casinos and sportsbooks consequently leads to better safety regulations and responsible initiatives. The trajectory of the player base will grow, and we have no doubts about that. We hope that brands and regulators will continue providing users with safer environments and less predatory advertisements.
Responsibility Is a Two-Way Street
Even with increased dedication of resources and greater awareness, the objective of responsible gambling isn’t achievable only through regulatory bodies and online casinos. As we have already mentioned before, players themselves are a huge part of this concept as well.
While all of us deserve to spend time in safe environments that are fair and secure, it’s also our role to utilize all of the given tools and guidelines. What we’re trying to say is that you as a player are ultimately responsible for your safety, and there are many precautions you want to take.
First, we would wholeheartedly recommend that you always use all the responsible gambling tools at your disposal. Every regulated and reliable Canadian casino has its own set of safety features such as deposit and wagering limits, cooling-off periods, and self-exclusion.
Since putting limitations on yourself is an integral part of being a responsible player, these tools can tremendously assist you in gambling responsibly. Everyone should be aware of their personal limits regarding their budget and leisure time. Impulse deposits are a huge issue and can quickly turn into problem gambling.
Furthermore, plenty of casinos feature detailed tips and suggestions on what steps to take to protect yourself. They also provide users valuable links to other platforms dedicated to preventing and helping problems.
It’s pivotal that you never aim to become rich through betting or playing games. You should always look at this as another form of entertainment instead of a way to earn extra money. Professional gamblers do exist, but they are very few and far between.
Even when using all the tools and following safety guidelines, you must constantly monitor your behavior throughout game sessions. Noticing changes in how you act when playing is a sure sign that something is going on, and that’s when taking action is required.
These are all incredibly important things you should remember, especially if you’re a beginner player. While this might sound very difficult and tiresome, those who follow these tips carefully will notice everything becoming like second nature after a short period.
Conclusion
All changes and additions to the Canadian responsible gambling system seem to affect gamers positively. There will be less malicious advertising targeted at underage individuals, which is an objective plus. And while the new regulations have plenty of room for improvement, it’s always great to see any sort of advancement on this front. Remember to always keep yourself safe and updated on this subject, as at the end of the day, you are the one in control of your well-being.
