The April newscycle has been a busy one for Canadian gambling updates. When I sat down to write this article, three main stories caught my eye. On the one hand, I could have written about two key pieces of legislation, aimed at changing Canada’s gambling advertising regulations at the federal and provincial levels, which have been progressing through their respective Houses. On the other hand, I could have covered how iGaming Ontario (“iGO”) recently announced the launch of BetGuard, a centralized self-exclusion program that would fill a gap in Ontario’s responsible gaming framework. And, on a third hand (where’d that come from?), I felt obligated to discuss how Alberta and Quebec have been given the go-ahead to participate (on opposing sides) in the Supreme Court of Canada appeal over whether Ontario can lawfully allow peer-to-peer online gambling liquidity for activities like poker and daily fantasy.
After thinking about it for a while and still not being able to choose one story to focus on, I decided that the best choice was to take a look at all three. For those readers who are missing the GME3 (which has officially been retired as of this month – we’re working on something new), hopefully this article will give you your news roundup fix.
Gambling Ads? More Like Gambling Subtractions
There have been two major developments in Canada’s gambling advertising landscape this month. On the federal level, Bill S-211 advanced in the House of Commons on April 22, 2026, by a 291–28 vote and was sent to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. The bill does not itself ban sports betting advertising. Instead, it would require the federal Minister of Canadian Heritage to develop a national framework addressing how sports betting ads should be regulated and restricted, including possible limits on the number, placement, and content of ads, as well as further limits on the use of celebrities and athletes. It would also call for national standards and better coordination around preventing gambling-related harm, especially among minors. This is significant because earlier versions of a similar bill had passed the Senate but, for a variety of reasons, never meaningfully progressed in the House of Commons.
The second advertising development is Ontario’s Bill 107, the Stop Harmful Gambling Advertising Act, introduced on April 21, 2026, by Liberal MPP Lee Fairclough. Unlike S-211, Bill 107 is much more aggressive. Rather than creating a framework for future regulation, it proposes to amend Ontario’s Gaming Control Act (1992) to prohibit most advertising and promotion by licensed online gambling operators in Ontario. The bill reportedly includes limited carveouts, but would broadly prevent Ontario’s online sportsbooks and casinos from advertising their products in the province. It also carries serious enforcement consequences: a company convicted under the proposed law could face fines of up to CAD $1 million, and repeat offences could eventually lead to licence revocation. Bill 107 passed its introductory vote and was ordered for second reading.
The policy rationale behind both bills is similar: supporters argue that gambling advertising has become a public health issue and that the post-2022 expansion of regulated online gambling, especially in Ontario, has normalized betting in ways that may increase harm. S-211 has now shown broad cross-party traction at the federal level, while Ontario’s Bill 107 is more likely to face an uphill battle because it is a partisan private member’s bill introduced by Liberals in a legislature where Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives hold a large majority. Industry opposition has also been immediate, with the Canadian Gaming Association arguing that Ontario already has strict advertising rules and that an outright ban could make it harder for consumers to distinguish licensed operators from illegal ones.
BetGuard: The Exclusion Solution
On April 15, 2026, iGO announced the launch of BetGuard, the province’s new centralized self-exclusion framework. Once the program has launched, a player will be able to self-exclude from all regulated online gambling sites in Ontario through one centralized process, rather than opting out operator by operator. According to iGO, the system will cover all regulated iGaming sites in the province, plus OLG’s online platforms, and every authorized operator will be required to participate.
Ontario operators already have site-specific self-exclusion obligations, but those tools are fragmented. BetGuard is designed to make self-exclusion more practical and effective by reducing the burden on players at the moment they decide they need help. In an interview with Canadian Gaming Business, iGO CEO Joseph Hillier described the system as a “key cornerstone” of Ontario’s responsible gambling toolkit and emphasized that a centralized system only works if all operators are included.
The rollout also appears close. While the platform was not yet live as of the article, the newly launched BetGuard website said the tool was “launching soon” with a May 2026 start, and outlined a process involving account creation, ID verification, and selectable exclusion terms. Those terms include six months, one year, five years, as well as the option for a custom term.
Alberta, which is preparing to launch its own regulated commercial iGaming market on July 13, 2026, is building a centralized self-exclusion requirement into its framework as well. Hillier suggested that, once both systems are operational, Ontario and Alberta could eventually explore interplay between the systems, so that self-excluded players remain protected across different provincial markets.
Stacking the Appeal
In the final major update from this month, Alberta is now formally participating in the Supreme Court of Canada appeal over whether Ontario can lawfully allow peer-to-peer online gambling liquidity, such as poker and daily fantasy sports contests, to connect with players outside Canada. On April 13, Justice Sheilah Martin granted Alberta Attorney General Mickey Amery leave to intervene in the case, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, et al. v. Attorney General of Ontario.
The underlying dispute stems from a November 2025 Ontario Court of Appeal ruling that found Ontario could legally connect peer-to-peer play with players in other countries. That decision is now being challenged by several provincial lottery corporations, including the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, BCLC, and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, with Loto-Québec also joining the appeal.
Alberta is preparing to launch its own regulated commercial iGaming market on July 13, 2026, and its filing makes clear that the outcome of this appeal could directly affect how Alberta’s new framework operates. In particular, Alberta pointed to language in the iGaming Alberta Act suggesting that persons outside Canada may participate in an Alberta-regulated internet gaming site where permitted by the laws of their own jurisdiction. Alberta, therefore, intends to support a broad interpretation of the Criminal Code that accommodates provincial gaming legislation rather than constraining it.
In practical terms, the case now has broad national significance. With Alberta and Québec participating, almost every provincial government in Canada (sorry, Saskatchewan) is now directly involved. The appeal has evolved from being about Ontario poker liquidity to becoming a major test case for how far provinces can go in structuring modern regulated online gaming markets.
