Â鶹´«Ã½

Health

    • 'Society let him down,' grieving mother says in warning about sports betting ads

    Share

    Warning: This article contains references to addiction and suicide.

    Like so many parents, Liz Ritchie hangs an ornament on her family’s Christmas tree for each of her children. As she hooks her son Jack’s to a branch, she’s reminded he won’t be home for the holidays.

    Not this year, not next year, not ever.  

    At just 24 years old, Jack died by suicide after a gambling addiction left him feeling helpless, stealing away his sense of purpose and his life.

    Sitting in her home in Sheffield, England, Ritchie has a clear message: “I want to warn Canadians, I want to speak mother to mother from across the pond. You need to be worried for your children, this is not OK, and some of your children will die.â€

    RISE OF ADS

    If you've turned on a television in Canada to watch live sports in recent months, you may have noticed a different game being promoted on the screen. The early edition of Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada featured no less than 19 sports betting commercials.

    Whether you watch hockey, basketball, or any other sport on TV in this country, you currently can’t escape the onslaught of gambling advertisements being broadcast again and again, during prime time hours, while children and Canadians of all ages watch their favourite teams from coast to coast to coast.  

    Ritchie witnessed a similar rise of sports betting advertisements in the U.K. years ago, but she didn’t realize how it would influence her son at the time.

    “They warn you about sexual predators, drugs and alcohol, but the government never said anything about gambling,†she told Â鶹´«Ã½.

    Sports broadcaster TSN, which is owned by CTV’s parent company, Bell Media, is now producing and airing its own gambling segments on TV, radio and online.

    Rogers' Sportsnet is also creating and churning out its own multi-platform sports betting content, featuring some of its most notable on-air talent.

    ONTARIO'S REGULATIONS

    Ontario is the first Canadian province to go all-in, regulating the first online gambling market in the country. Anyone of age can now legally place a bet on any aspect of a game, or spin an online slot machine with the flick of a finger on their phone. As other provinces contemplate their own legislation, all eyes are on Ontario.

    Paul Burns, the CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, a sports betting and gambling lobby group, believes that regulated online gambling is safer than the alternative over the last several years.

    “Canadians were accessing gaming with no controls, no oversight, no protection. And that's what this has done, that's been the biggest change in the last 12 months,†said Burns.

    Currently in Ontario, there are 68 online gambling sites regulated by the province.

    Lobbyists like Burns say “advertising is part of what comes with having a regulated gaming market,†though he admits that “there’s a shared responsibility between broadcasters, sports leagues and sports betting operations to understand what is the right mix (of gambling promotions) for their product, for their customers and for the leagues' reputations.â€

    The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), which regulates online gambling in the province, sent an email to CTV National News that states “Marketing and advertising standards†are in place “to help protect vulnerable and high-risk players from wagering inducements.â€

    The AGCO has also had discussions “with Canadian advertising industry leaders†to discuss “the role they can play in managing the advertising placed by both regulated and unregulated internet gaming sites.â€

    'A PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN'

    But some anti-gambling advocates in the U.K., where betting legislation was rapidly expanded in 2005, are speaking out.

    They believe the tragic lessons learned in their country should serve as a cautionary tale to Canadians.

    “It’s a public health disaster waiting to happen,†said Ritchie.  

    Jack Ritchie is seen in an image provided by his family.

    Public Health England found that there are more than 400 suicides associated with gambling each year in the country. In 2019, England’s National Health Service opened its first of 16 planned child gambling addiction clinics.

    Matt Zarb-Cousin runs a U.K. non-profit called Clean Up Gambling, and he says young adults can be particularly at risk.

    “At the ages of 18 to 24, before your brain fully develops, you're very vulnerable to developing a gambling problems. The fact that young people are more likely to gamble as a result of advertising I think is a reason to restrict it,†he said.

    Zarb-Cousin added that the promotion of gambling companies in the U.K. “conditioned young people to believe they have to bet to enjoy the match, and when they reach the age when they can gamble at 18 the first thing they do is download all the gambling apps.â€

    INCREASE IN REPORTS FROM PARENTS

    CTV National News sat down with a recovering gambling addict who asked that we not share his name or identity. For the purpose of this story he’s asked to be called Al.

    Al now volunteers his time with Gamblers Anonymous Ontario, and he too is worried about the influence that sports betting commercials could wield.

    “Imagine a 12-year-old or a 14-year-old watching hockey, or watching basketball or any sports - how tempting it would be to place on their phone.†

    In an email, Sportsnet told Â鶹´«Ã½: “We recognize that sports betting content and advertising represents a change for audiences and we are being extremely thoughtful about the volume and content of the commercial inventory that we are allotting to sports betting partners to ensure we continue to officer a quality viewing experience.â€

    According to Al, broadcasters, sports leagues and the AGCO aren’t being careful enough. Al shared that the number of parents calling into Gamblers Anonymous pleading for help, concerned their child might be addicted to gambling, has skyrocketed in recent months in Ontario.

    “A lot of parents think that their kids are doing their homework upstairs, but they're racking up $30- to 40-grand on a credit card,†Al said.

    ATHLETES' INVOLVEMENT CRITICIZED

    Some fans are speaking out against their favourite stars who’re now featured in some of the advertisements.

    From Connor McDavid to Auston Matthews to Wayne Gretzky, some of the biggest names in hockey have signed on and are pulling in major paydays. The NHL’s Washington Capitals landed a deal to feature “Caesars Sportsbook†on their jerseys. Sports broadcaster TSN even joined forces with FanDuel as its official sportsbook partner.

    In a statement TSN said that FanDuel “has a number of features in place to mitigate risk for bettors, including tools to help customers set deposit, wager, and time limits.â€

    But individuals like Al, who spent decades gambling, say they believe that a completely open online betting market spells trouble for Ontarians – and residents of other provinces if they follow with similar regulations.

    Waving his phone in the air, AI highlighted how much easier these apps and companies make it to place a bet.

    “It’s always in our hands. You don't have to drive to a casino or store if it’s snowing or if it's raining. You can (gamble) from home while you're drinking a coffee, and destroying yourself.â€

    'LIKE FEEDING KIDS SPOONS FULL OF VODKA'

    Back in England, Ritchie says that she likens the wave of commercials and content on TV is spoon-feeding children the addiction.

    “It’s like feeding kids spoons full of vodka and scotch. It’s being normalized in society.â€

    Ritchie, who’s now co-founded the organization Gambling with Lives, notes that she and other families know the cost all too well.

    “I’ve spoken to loads of mothers, and they all say to me, ‘My heart is broken, I’ve lost my child, I didn’t know that gambling could take my child,†she said.

    Richie says if her son, Jack, had come to her and said, “'I’m addicted to heroin,' we’d have known what to do, but (with gambling) we didn’t. Eventually he came to us and said he’s lost some money, and we banned him from the bookies, but that didn’t matter. He found a way to make a bet.â€

    Jack Ritchie is pictured in an image provided by his parents.

    'SOCIETY LET HIM DOWN'

    Ritchie said her son tried to quit, and at one point, the university graduate stopped for 18 months. But he went back to it again.  

    After another long break from gambling, Ritchie said, she and her husband received a note one day in 2017.

    “Out of the blue, Jack wrote, 'The old problems back. I've gambled again and I'm not coming back from this.' The email contained an attached suicide note.â€

    Ritchie said that Jack didn’t die by suicide “because he lost massive amounts of money,†but that he ended his life “because he thought he’d never be free of the gambling.â€

    “He felt despair. Because of the normalization of it, it undermined the sense of himself as someone who could have charge of his life. He thought he let us down, but we let him down, society let him down.â€

    If you or someone you know is suffering from a gambling addiction, there are resourcces available through .

    If you’re struggling from a mental health addiction or problem gambling, you can also contact ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Montreal police say a business in the city's Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood was hit with Molotov cocktails two nights in a row.

    Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

    Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'

    Ontario Provincial Police have laid stunt charges against a driver caught speeding 75 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end.

    Canada

    • Montreal police say a business in the city's Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood was hit with Molotov cocktails two nights in a row.

    • Ontario Provincial Police have laid stunt charges against a driver caught speeding 75 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end.

    • New data shows the automated speed enforcement camera on King Edward Avenue, between Bolton Street and St. Patrick Street, issued 6,337 speeding tickets in August, the highest number of tickets issued by Ottawa's 40 photo radar cameras.

    • The two people who died in a major fire in Old Montreal on Friday were a mother and her seven-year-old daughter, sources told Noovo Info.

    • It’s 1998. Google was just born, and dial-up was the primary way to connect to the Internet. New sites were being developed daily on any number of topics, from recipes to shopping. David Yanciw, however, was thinking big - big things, that is.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • A five-seat sushi counter located inside another restaurant is the latest Vancouver eatery to receive a Michelin star.

    • What does New Westminster's tÉ™mÉ™sewÌ“txÊ· Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

    Sports

    • According to the Canadian Women & Sport's 2022 Rally Report, 76 per cent of girls who participate in sports believe it helps build confidence and enhances their mental health. While those benefits are important for all children, the organization's CEO says, right now, girls have less access.

    Autos

    • A Pickering, Ont., student going to college to be a mechanic is shocked the engine in his two-year-old car will not be repaired under warranty after the dealership claimed he had been 'over-revving' the engine.

    • A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

    Local Spotlight

    Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

    From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

    A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

    The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

    A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

    Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

    What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

    The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

    New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.

    • The sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty in the deadly hit-and-run in Kitsilano two years ago began on Friday.

    • Chayton Point loved to dance. Just ask his mom.

    • As the provincial election campaign reaches the halfway mark, the party leaders made pitches to voters on bread-and-butter issues: housing, child care and jobs.

    • Two pedestrians have been taken to hospital with unknown injuries after an early-morning collision in Vaughan.

    • A Toronto city councillor is calling for a public inquiry into the construction of the delayed and over-budget Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

    • An investigation is underway into what caused a vehicle rollover Saturday in the area of Plummers Road and Priddis Valley Road.

    • A pedestrian is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle in southeast Calgary on Friday night.

    • Environment Canada has issued a frost advisory as temperatures across Ottawa and eastern Ontario are expected to dip near the freezing mark this evening.

    • New data shows the automated speed enforcement camera on King Edward Avenue, between Bolton Street and St. Patrick Street, issued 6,337 speeding tickets in August, the highest number of tickets issued by Ottawa's 40 photo radar cameras.

    • Ontario Provincial Police have laid stunt charges against a driver caught speeding 75 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end.

    • The two people who died in a major fire in Old Montreal on Friday were a mother and her seven-year-old daughter, sources told Noovo Info.

    • Montreal police say they are increasing their presence across the city ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 start of the Israel-Hamas war.

    • Montreal police say a business in the city's Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood was hit with Molotov cocktails two nights in a row.

    • Forward Arshdeep Bains hopes his final audition was good enough to earn him a spot in the Vancouver Canucks cast when the curtain opens on the NHL regular season.

    • A 79-year-old woman is dead after the vehicle she was driving crashed into an east Edmonton building late Friday afternoon.

    • Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jack Campbell has entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

    • A riding in southwest New Brunswick that for decades was a Progressive Conservative stronghold is shaping up to be a bellwether that could offer a window into the future of the Tory party, and maybe of the province.

    • The Greater Moncton area held open houses on Saturday to kick off Fire Prevention Week.

    • A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.

    • It’s 1998. Google was just born, and dial-up was the primary way to connect to the Internet. New sites were being developed daily on any number of topics, from recipes to shopping. David Yanciw, however, was thinking big - big things, that is.

    • Emergency crews are at the scene of a single motor vehicle collision on Highway 12 in the RM of Brokenhead, Man.

    • A new report from Doctors Manitoba is calling for major changes to the way sick notes are issued in Manitoba, saying they are a waste of time for doctors and employers.

    • A group of climate activists is challenging SaskPower's move towards natural gas, arguing it violates their Charter rights.

    • A wind warning has been issued for parts of southern Saskatchewan, with gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour (km/h) possible in some areas on Saturday, Environment and Climate Change Canada says.

    • Police have laid charges after a car crashed into the side of a Kitchener home early Friday morning.

    • Officers were called at around 11 p.m. Friday for a report of a disturbance in the area of Glasgow Street and Earl Street.

    • The K-W Symphony may have played their last concert but the musicians who made up the ensemble aren’t ready for their curtain call.

    • The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation hosted a virtual election forum on education Thursday evening, giving candidates in the provincial election a chance to share their thoughts and answer questions on issues teachers find most important.

    • A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.

    • Saskatoon police arrested a homeless person at the scene of an encampment underneath the University Bridge on Friday morning.

    • Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

    • Oct. 4 is the National Day of Action for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people.

    • The London Knights were on home ice last night, hoping to secure their first won of the season at Budweiser Gardens against the Erie Otters.

    • As of 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, The West Region OPP Tactics and Rescue Unit (TRU), Emergency Response Team (TEAM) and OPP K9 Unit were operating in the area but have since cleared.

    • Three people from Simcoe County face charges in relation to a drug trafficking investigation that police say resulted in the seizure of several weapons, drugs and thousands of dollars worth of stolen property.

    • A 62-year-old man has been charged after police received a report about an employee stealing over $60,000 worth of materials from a Huntsville business.

    • A man is facing multiple charges after reportedly threatening to harm staff members at an Orillia business Friday afternoon.

    • The first step in the plan was speaking to frontline workers and getting their feedback. "Overwhelmingly, they said they would like to see health-care services on-site," Bondy said.

    • According to police, the suspect entered and vandalized the property in the 700 block of Grand Marais Road Easton on September 28.

    • A motor vehicle collision at Wyandotte Street East and George Avenue has Windsor police on the scene this morning.

    • We haven't heard the candidates talk much about education during B.C.'s 2024 election campaign, but the teachers' union is trying to put the spotlight on that issue.

    • The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.

    • Many British Columbians were shaken awake early Friday morning when an earthquake struck in the Strait of Georgia, about 18 kilometres southwest of Tsawwassen.

    • Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week – and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.

    • A father in Kelowna is furious after his 13-year-old daughter was brutally beaten on Gyro Beach. He is calling for criminal charges in the devastating attack, which was caught on video by multiple bystanders.

    • The officer who shot and killed a forcible confinement suspect in Kamloops two years ago was justified in doing so, according to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.

    • A person was airlifted to hospital following a serious crash in Taber, Alta., on Friday morning. Taber RCMP responded to the scene on Highway 864 around 10:30 a.m., for a crash involving an SUV and a semi-truck.

    • To enhance inclusivity at Lethbridge Polytechnic, the institution has launched a new accessibility micro-credential.

    • WestJet has changed its operations at the Lethbridge Airport, and it means there's now only a single daily flight from Lethbridge to Calgary, down from three flights a day, as offered previously.

    • Two teens, ages 14 and 19, have been charged with arson in connection with a July 14 fire in Cat Lake First Nation that destroyed $500,000 in construction materials.

    • A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.

    • A suspect who accused Thunder Bay police of being responsible for his throat injury actually hurt himself when he swallowed a large amount of drugs.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½