The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is moving to ban gambling ads that feature athletes and putting restrictions on appearances from celebrities who could appeal to minors.

The new rules, effective on Feb. 24, 2024, “would help safeguard children and youth who can be particularly susceptible to such advertising content,” the AGCO wrote in a news release. 

“Children and youth are heavily influenced by the athletes and celebrities they look up to,” Tom Mungham, registrar and CEO of the AGCO wrote in the release. 

“We’re therefore increasing measures to protect Ontario’s youth by disallowing the use of these influential figures to promote online betting in Ontario.”

The restrictions will ban all current and former athletes from appearing in the advertisements and will restrict celebrities, social media influencers and entertainers who “would likely be expected to appeal to minors.”

Online gambling became legal in Ontario in April 2022. It remains the only province where it is legal. Wagers totalled $14 billion in the first quarter of 2023, according to iGaming Ontario.

Since legalization, advertisements have popped up on television during sporting events featuring the likes of NHL stars Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and entertainer Jamie Foxx, among others.

In May, the Canadian Mental Health Association recommended a complete ban on online gambling ads.