AGCO to seek input on sportsbook ambassadors
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is expected to announce this morning that it will reach out to businesses in the province's regulated industry about its concerns around advertising.
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In this issue:
AGCO to seek input on “celebrity” ambassadors
The not-so-perfect storm of athletes and bettors
Which province will follow Ontario’s lead?
Talking sports betting, and sports, on LinkedIn Audio today
AGCO to solicit feedback on current athletes and other “celebrity” ambassadors
There’s news on this Thursday the 13th that the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario will let it be known this morning that it will be consulting operators and other stakeholders across the sports betting and gaming industry about the use of athletes - and perhaps other celebrities - in advertising and promotion.
(UPDATE: The AGCO released this morning its proposal for “changes to standards that would restrict athlete and celebrity participation in internet gambling advertising”.
From the commission’s correspondence: “The AGCO is therefore proposing to prohibit the use of athletes as well as celebrities that can reasonably be expected to appeal to children and youth from internet gambling advertising and marketing in Ontario.”)
Our conversations with people in different sectors of the industry over the past couple of months have indicated that endorsement deals between operators and current athletes are the main catalyst for the AGCO pursuing the placement of restrictions moving forward. Given that there have been whispers about the commission going down this road for a while now, we expect the consultation process - and subsequent decisions - won’t take long. Also on the GNC watch list is where/how/if former athletes, musicians, actors and social media influencers are also part of this feedback-seeking mission by the AGCO.
“We do know the AGCO has met about this internally,” Kindred Group’s Amanda Brewer said on the most recent Gaming News Canada Show podcast. “There are lots of examples across the pond from other European jurisdictions that have taken very severe actions against the use of celebrities or athletes. I suspect, given the AGCO’s past behaviour (of reaching out to operators and other stakeholders), there’s going to be some form of consultation with the industry on this topic.”
We’ve dedicated many, many words - in writing and on the various audio platforms we’ve used over the past 27 months - to the fine line being walked with current athletes serving as brand ambassadors for sportsbooks. Given the lucrative payday for today’s sporting heroes, and happenings like the NBA and the NBA Players Association agreeing to allow sports betting endorsement deals in the new collective bargaining agreement, this isn’t going away.
No doubt we’ll spend some time on the topic when we gather on LinkedIn Audio this afternoon at 2 p.m. ET.
Which province will be first to follow Ontari-ari-ari-o?
Play Canada chronicler Matthew Lomon put together this week a prognostication of sorts on which provinces are most likely to follow Ontario’s lead in doing away with the lottery/gaming corporation monopoly, and opening up the marketplace to many comers. Lomon likes Alberta as the frontrunner, given the support of the current provincial government (although trying to figure out the political landscape there these days is like trying to catch Connor McDavid).
While establishing a timeline for other provinces to officially embrace the Ontario model (or some semblance of it) is a mug’s game, the release of Year 1 numbers by iGaming Ontario nine days ago has given the “not a matter of if, but when” crowd a shot in the arm. Also noteworthy are the comments made by OLG chief gaming officer Dave Pridmore at last week’s Canadian Gaming Association Leaders Forum that the influx of competition has been healthy for his organization, which has seen a reinvigorated focus on its digital offerings help spark a rise in gaming revenues for the corp.
Those two factors, and others, make it darn near impossible for other provinces to ignore what’s happening in the country’s largest jurisdiction.
“The most noteworthy aspect of the next 12 months will be the receptiveness of other provinces to Ontario’s model, and whether we will see decision makers and lawmakers in other provinces decide to cede what essentially has been a longstanding legislative monopoly over lawful gambling, and open up their digital gaming borders,” Will Hill said on the Gaming News Canada Show podcast. “And allow others in the interest of increased revenues to the coffers of the province, in the interest of economic development, in the interest of job creation because there is now a wellspring of empirical data and evidence in Ontario that all of those things have happened in abundance.”
Added Amanda Brewer: “I don’t know how any other province can look at what’s happening in Ontario, and call it a failure.”
We’ll watch, and wait.
Talking sports betting, and sports, on LinkedIn Audio
Given what’s happening on the Canadian sports scene - Maple Leafs, Oilers, Jets headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs; Raptors trying to squeeze into the NBA postseason; and the Blue Jays back at the revamped Rogers Centre; and don’t forget the World Women’s Hockey Championship in Brampton - it’s a certainty we’ll incorporate some sports talk into the usual mix of sports betting, sports media and gaming news when we congregate on LinkedIn Audio this afternoon at 2 p.m. ET. Stathletes co-founder and hockey analytics guru Meghan Chayka is scheduled to join regular contributors Amanda Brewer, Will Hill and Kris Abbott.
We look forward to having you listen to, and participate in, the discussion and debate.
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A not-so-perfect storm between athletes and bettors who lose
It’s the kind of perfect storm you wish would blow over without any damage.
Athletes, less accessible to the sports media today, have grown their own audiences through social media channels. That’s both a benefit and a detriment, as for every sports fan who’s seeking a warm-and-fuzzy connection to their heroes there’s a disturbingly growing group of sports bettors who take out their losses on the athlete who missed a free throw, an empty net or a field goal.
A little over three years ago, a New York gambler was charged and pleaded guilty to sending threatening messages over social media to players with the Tampa Bay Rays and other teams. And there have been more recent examples including:
The men’s basketball coach and the athletic director at the University of Dayton spoke about similar messages sent over social media to student-athletes.
An extensive feature by ESPN’s David Purdum on the increasing level of abuse heaped on NCAA athletes around gambling.
PBS did its own reporting on the risks student-athletes face today.
An opinion piece by Morgan Campbell on CBC.ca on the recent blowup between Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards and a ticked-off bettor.
Chris Boucher of the Toronto Raptors speaking on his own podcast about a message he received via social media:
Forget March Madness; this is sheer madness.
“The psychology of a fan has changed,” Tabitha Rose, the founder and chief inspiring officer of Life to Paper Publishing - whose work with authors includes educating them about using social media – told us Tuesday. “(Before), the gain from an athlete’s performance was joy. Now it’s joy based on money, and that’s scary.”
From Will Hill on the Gaming News Canada Show podcast: “You have a new dynamic in the relations of fan engagement where fans are now viewing athletes in a certain lens, not just the emotional investment of cheering for their favourite team, but betting on their favourite team, and it may not go their way.”
Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky is a professor in the department of psychiatry at McGill University, and is also the director of the Montreal university’s International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-risk Behaviours. One of the centre’s clients is the NCAA, and Dr. Derevensky said the unhealthy intersection of gambling and college sports is top of mind with the organization and new president Charlie Baker.
“I haven’t seen any empirical data, (but) the harassing of college athletes seems to be a growing problem,” Dr. Derevensky told Gaming News Canada on a Zoom call yesterday. “Coaches are concerned about the safety of their athletes. There’s more sports wagering going on now, and with social media being what it is, it’s easier to connect with an athlete.
“People are venting their frustrations and anger for losing (bets) against these individuals.”
The international centre conducts a survey every four years with approximately 20,000 NCAA student-athletes, and Dr. Derevensky said he’s already received the green light from the organization that questions around harassment because of sports betting be included in the next survey (2024).
Dr. Derevensky points to the easy access to online gambling and the legalization of sports betting in Canada and the U.S., as opening the door to more betting, and more anger.
“We used to make bets on a corner, or call our local bookmaker. Now you can go to a regulated website and bet on almost anything. One of the concerns we have is that governments have normalized gambling.
“A lot more people are doing sports wagering globally, and it’s easy to take (their anger) out on an athlete.”
The AGCO, in a CBC news article this week, said in a statement it was aware of the abusive incidents involving both Boucher and Raptors teammate Fred Van Vliet, and “was appalled by both acts”. The commission also stated to a CBC reporter that the incidents don’t fall within its regulatory authority.
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