Ontario drops online gambling advertising ban

The part of Bill 152 in Ontario that would tighten the ban on online gambling advertising in the province has been dropped.

Initially part of Bill 152, the Ministry of Government Services Consumer Protection and Service Modernization Act, would have closed a loophole that allowed indirect advertising on Internet gambling.

Internet gambling such as online poker and casino sites are illegal in Ontario as well as advertising of the sites. However, many of the sites get around the law by advertising their free, play-money sites where people can go to learn to play.

The bill had made it through a second reading with the online gambling advertising change still intact, but didn't survive a review by the Social Policy Committee.

According to media, the committee was convinced by lobbyists that the bill had enough ambiguities and conflicts with the Canadian Criminal Code to warrant dropping it from the bill.

The bill has now been submitted and approved for a third reading without the online gambling advertising portion included.

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