Games that haunt the beauty of games

Bruce Kidd is professor emeritus of sports policy at the University of Toronto and a former Canadian Olympian.

Ever since the federal government lifted its ban on sports betting in 2021, allowing states to set their own rules and regulations, watching sports on TV has become like being in a casino. It's not just wall-to-wall advertising; and it's a feeling that the entire sports media industry has become sensational.

Professional leagues, such as the NBA and NHL, now support betting, even making agreements with "official sports betting partners". Owner groups such as Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) and broadcasting companies such as The Sports Network (TSN) have also participated in sports betting. Current stars such as Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs and historical figures such as Wayne Gretzky have been paid to advertise in the 안전토토사이트 betting industry, and the players discuss their options and share other information. and sports. Even the beautiful reminder of betting "properly" reinforces the message that sports have become a form of gambling. It is as if athletes and trainers train, organize and compete for the sole purpose of providing options for the global sports industry - corporate profits trump people's sanity. . This is very serious. It is at the time of obtaining reliable data on the number of Canadians who have developed addictions due to sports betting since its legalization and the advent of advertising and industry. But we know that gambling in general can be harmful. Last year, Statistics Canada reported that 1.6% of Canadians aged 15 and over gambled in 2017, or about 304,400 Canadians, who are at high risk for problems gambling, including mental health problems, losing money to the point of bankruptcy. going into debt and breaking relationships.

What saddens me the most is the way television broadcasts indoctrinate young Canadians into sports betting, instead of developing an appreciation of sports through the beauty of talented athletes playing the best, what the spectacle of close matches and the simple joy of being among other fans. It is estimated that 10 percent of television viewers are under the age of 18, and the Australian Gambling Research Institute has reported that "research on the advertising of products that Another harmful effect is that advertising increases adoption and consumption, especially among teenagers.

But at a time when Canada faces serious challenges in providing accessible and rewarding sports opportunities for children and youth, high-profile sports betting undermines the meaning of sports. Today's message is that the joy of the game comes only from placing winning bets, not from actually playing. The company itself cannot commit crimes, of course; it will make him go back underground. But Canada should regulate all sports betting advertising on television and other media, just as it does alcohol and tobacco advertising. This will discourage gambling from continuing for the same reason that previous governments have wisely prevented the promotion of other things: its promotion contributes to harmful health and social problems. and the king.

Canada should also strengthen the law of association of sports teams and sports industry, to protect the integrity of sports. With the increasingly fluid connection between teams, players, sports officials, players around the pitch, media companies and betting companies, opportunities for influence something that does not end, especially if a large number of bets are not on the final score, but on some events. and performance in a specific game, or prop bet. Players, like the NFL's Calvin Ridley, have been found to be breaking the rules, questioning the integrity of the game. In fact, Canadian political scientist Declan Hill, who has studied match-fixing in soccer and tennis, has argued that even when examining a single game in an invincible heat, match-fixing is almost impossible. little to be impossible to stop. . What happens when there is no distance between the players in the game? Many European countries have banned sports 토토사이트 betting advertising to young people, which often means that ads cannot be shown in places where children frequent or on television until late at night. In Italy, advertising for sports betting on television is prohibited. In Australia, there is a national agency that oversees sports betting.

But companies should also step up their efforts. Several years ago, Bell Canada launched the "Let's Talk About It" campaign to promote mental health awareness.