Hockey star Connor McDavid now a face of responsible gaming after promoting gambling

Athletes aren't supposed to appear in gambling-related advertising in Ontario anymore, though sports fans may have noticed Connor McDavid in anew spot foronline sports betting platform BetMGM.

That's because the 27-year-oldhockey superstar is shownadvocating for responsible gambling an exception that is allowed under tightened regulations for the marketing and advertisingof gamblingin Ontario that took effect on Feb. 28.

The 30-second adfeatures McDavidsitting in a room with a friend and asking him if he's aware of "responsible gambling tools"from BetMGM that will prevent his palfrom getting "carried away" withbetting.

The new ad hasbeen airing on television and digital platformsfor several weeks. But McDavidis already a familiar face to BetMGM's customers, having been part of a prior ad campaign involving Wayne Gretzky, which promoted the same company's betting services.

Judd Moldaver, the agent representing McDavid, said the hockey star's relationship with BetMGMremains the same, despite the change in advertisements.

"Responsible gambling was part of the relationship between Connor and BetMGM from the very start," Moldavertold CBC News via email.

"Itis something he feels strongly about, and this ad was a priority for him he wants to be visible talking about playing responsibly."

Yet some observers question how credible it is to have McDavid switching up his role for BetMGM, seeing his on-screen presence as a reminder of the companybehind the advertisement, rather than a voice of gambling moderation.

Andrew Kim, an assistant professor in the psychology department at the University of Calgary, said he believes it essentially adds up to bolstering brand awareness.

"You associateConnor McDavid with their site," said Kim, also a sports fan, who caught his first glimpse of the Edmonton Oilers captain'snew ad during the broadcast of a recent hockey game.

The fight for market share

Marketing expert Tony Chapman said hesaw this scenario coming, given that Ontario did not bar pitch-persons from switching from promoting gambling to highlightingpotential curbs on its services.

He said the value in having a star like McDavid is clear:"You hire a celebrity like him to fight for market share," Chapman, host of the Chatter that Matters podcast, said via email.

Kim said McDavid'sstar power makes him broadly recognizable to sports fans and this celebrity recognitionhelps consumers more easily remember the brand he is associated with.

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BetMGMmust see the value in McDavid's star power, too, as thecompanytouts its "partnership with one of hockey's greatest players" and underlines the fact that the reigning NHL MVP is explaining how people can putlimits on their betting.

Matt Prevost, the company's chief revenue officer, said McDavidwas "part of our efforts to promote responsible gambling" since the start of his relationship with BetMGM.

"That was something he expressed as a personal priority," Prevost told CBC News in an emailed statement.

Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), said that active athletes have typically been prohibited from advertising gambling services "in most jurisdictions in the world." Ontario's updated regulations now do the same.

But he pointed out that some very well-known athletes in the United States have been involved in promoting both gambling and responsible gaming.

Brothers Eli and Peyton Manning, both retired NFL stars, have appeared in ads for Caesars Sportsbook, as well as inCaesars'spots for responsible gambling.

Tony Chapman, meanwhile, questions putting the words "responsible and gambling together."

He said that"gambling sites that promote responsible gambling, especially with a celebrity, should not be allowed to attach their logo ... [in order toshow] their intent is true."

"If not, they are riding a Trojan horse into the consumers' psyche and leaving their brand behind," Chapman said.

Billions bet by Ontarians

Canada legalizedsingle-event sports bettingin2021, but the following year, Ontario was the first province to launch a regulated sports betting program.

Two years into this new reality, Ontariobettors are makingbillions of dollars in wagers each quarter, via onlinesports betting, but also through online poker and casino games and other online gaming products.

Sports betting, in fact, represents onlya fraction of the larger online gambling market in Ontario. But the sports-relatedsegment is heavily promoted and has faced heavy scrutiny since its broad legalization.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is well aware of how much of a role promotion has played in growing the market, something itacknowledges on its website.

In an email, the agencysaid that "responsiblegambling is a central aspect" of the regulated market and that it sees athletes as having a useful role in spreading that message.

"The use of athletes, whose influence and appeal extend to a wide audience, remains permitted in advertising and marketing for the exclusive purpose of advocating for responsible gambling practices," the AGCO said, noting the new McDavid ad is permitted accordingly.

The regulatoralso said it's"pleased" to see gambling operators "making the necessary adjustments to align their advertising practices with the updated standards."

Burns, of the CGA, said that industry members have clarity on what is expected when it comes to advertising. Prior to the launch of the legal market in Ontario, he said,there was no industry-funded promotion of responsible gambling practices.

The University of Calgary's Kim, however, said he sees an inherent tension in an industry that provides gambling services trying to get some of those people to pull back their participation.

"You are essentially trying to get your highest customers who spend the most to spend less," he said.

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