Politician Seeks Online Gambling Ad Ban

Published: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

CANADA PROVINCIAL POLITICIAN SEEKS INTERNET GAMBLING AD BAN

But online gambling revenues contribute to Ontario government coffers

The Canadian publication Canoe reported this week that a politician in the Ontario legislature, Liberal MPP Jeff Leal has introduced a Bill that seeks to ban online gambling advertisements in the province.

Warning flags against Internet gambling by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health were mentioned in the debate, although less emphasis was placed on the fact that traditional gambling venues in the province make a substantial contribution to the provincial government coffers.

Motives behind the Bill may not be entirely altruistic. Competition from online gambling, such as online poker and online casinos, is cutting into the market share of Ontario's more traditional (and permitted) gambling outlets, Public Infrastructure Minister David Caplan said. "It is a real factor in the Ontario gaming scene," he said.

A 2000 poll, cited in the Addiction and Mental Health study, found 5.3 percent of Ontario adults had participated in online gambling.