I wake up in the morning, grab my coffee, turn on my television, and there is an ad for sports gambling. Gambling is everywhere, now made at the convenience of your fingertips, creating an illusion that you have more control over outcomes than you actually do.
Sports betting is detrimental to the spectatorship of sport, introducing artificial stakes where cash flow is contingent on external factors, such as playing rosters and performance, with these factors now dictating personal finances.
This malignant form of betting has been commonplace among young people. Youth view betting on sports like hockey, soccer and football as a way to support “their” team. This may not only fulfill a supportive aspect to a team but also an emotional connection, where people feel that by betting they are somehow participating in the game.
Advertisements constantly feed into the aggressive online sports gambling epidemic. The promotional aspect of these marketing campaigns preys on young people between the ages of 17 and 25, when the brain is still developing. This promotional aspect is contingent on the promise of winning and reinforcing, from my observation, a shared mentality of “we can win together” through participation with friends.
Ever since single-game betting became legalized in Canada in 2021, Ontario swamped the market with 18 brands and BetMGM partnered with Wayne Gretzky in advertisements, creating an illusion that one of your favourite players could be supporting your involvement in gambling. The extent to which marketing campaigns target people to fulfill the cycle of irresponsible betting is sinister and purposeful.
My introduction to sports gambling began with my friends’ partners being active participants in this self-sabotaging cycle. At dinner, they were sports gambling. At the farmers’ market, they were gambling, board game night, they were gambling. This continuous cycle of betting begs the question of whether you can really quit whenever you want.
Quitting gambling isn’t as easy as one may think. Gambling has become so accessible via smartphones that it’s simply preposterous. Before gambling became digitized, you had to go out and gamble the old-fashioned way, meaning you either had to find a bookie, a casino or a place that facilitated illegal gambling practices. With gambling being made so simple, it’s no wonder that sports betting alone garnered a revenue of US$16.96 billion in 2025.
The idea of “winning big” is what continues this unhealthy cycle, that somehow one day the jackpot will be worth every loss and risk. This loss-chasing mindset is fueled by uncertainty or the reward it brings. A predictable game is dull or boring, but uncertainty maintains the motivation that keeps people playing.
With the 2026 World Cup ongoing, there has been an uptick in participation in Canadian sports gambling, and although this type of gambling generates revenue, it comes with a cost. As recorded in the Canadian Medical
Association Journal in September 2025, sports betting is linked to increased risks of suicide, substance use disorders, crime and broader social harms.
Betting on anything can ultimately be a dangerous decision, but especially with the simplicity that technology provides from the comfort of your own home. Applications make gambling effortless and marketing makes it seem sports gambling is a legitimate way to generate revenue. The financial gains that this brings does not outweigh the social detriments it has on the Canadian and global populations, and particularly young people. The revenue that sports gambling brings should never take precedence over the well-being of the Canadian population.
