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Ontario Wages War on Online Casino Advertising |
| Despite the substantial taxation revenues the Ontario government earns from legalized gambling operators, some Canadian lawmakers seem determined to fight against the online casino industry. Liberal MPP Jeff Leal has recently introduced a bill that seeks to ban online casino advertisements in the province, citing support from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. Currently online casino advertising targets casino fans through a variety of mediums including print media, radio, television and satellite television. While Leal’s bill is being applauded by traditional opponents of the online casino industry, others say that the motives behind it may be motivated more by self-interest than social concern. In recent years Ontario’s registered and licensed gambling outlets that provide taxation revenue for the government have been forced to share an increasing segment of the market with the online casino industry, in particular with poker websites. The majority of online casino firms operating in Canada are located offshore, denying both state and federal government taxation revenue and the ability to enforce regulations on the industry. A number of prominent individuals and organizations spoke out against the increasing visibility of advertising for online casinos after a poll conducted in 2000 by the Center found that 5.3 percent of adults in Ontario had participated in online casino gaming. The figure for 2006 is anticipated to be substantially higher. |
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