Doctors are calling for restrictions on sports betting ads, saying they are setting youth up for a future of problem gambling.
An editorial published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday says the ads are everywhere during sports broadcasts and that the legalization of online gambling has made every smartphone a potential betting platform.
Editor Dr. Shannon Charlebois says even though betting sites say they’re only for people 19 years of age and older, youth are being inundated with advertising that equates enjoying sports with betting.
She says child and teen brains are still developing and the constant exposure to gambling messages normalizes harmful behaviour that they can carry into adulthood…