President of CGA Comments on Recent Shane Pinto Suspension

The National Hockey League most recently announced that it has banned Ottawa Senators’ Shane Pinto for 41 games over activities connected to sports betting. Making it the longest suspension since 2015. Paul Burns, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association said the exclusion of the forward was the result of a functioning regulated gambling market.

Over the last couple of years, both the U.S. and Canada made some significant advancements to their respective gambling industries leading to a substantial increase in the popularity of sports wagering. It also led to the integration of sports betting into games, which eventually led to concerns about people vulnerable to addiction and young people who will be attracted to gambling.

PointsBet’s CCO Agrees

Nic Sulsky, Chief Commercial Officer for PointsBet Canada also agrees with Mr. Burn. But said the suspension had nothing to do with the amount of gambling market during sporting events. He explained that the incident demonstrates how seriously sports leagues and wagering operators take integrity issues not only with the average consumer but the purity of sports.

In a recent statement, the NHL explained that Pinto did not wager on NHL games, and did not provide any details about the exact gambling activity causing the suspension. Meanwhile, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that there was a possibility that another person may have had access to the player’s account which eventually led to the improper gambling activity.

Mr. Burns noted that many people will now think that the incident happened due to regulated sports betting but he explains that the regulated framework enabled regulators to properly monitor for such activities. He added that this was an unfortunate incident, but in his words, it demonstrated that the regulatory regimes and rules put in place are working.

Additionally, Mr. Sulsky explained sportsbooks now have access to the names of people involved in pro sports, and leagues, operators, and integrity agencies are helping each other out. He remarked that they are able to monitor suspicious wagering activity, and if they see tons of action on a random sport or event, they raise a flag and start investigating the case.

The NHL and the Players Association have individual and joint assistance programs that provide education on gambling. Representatives of both recently shared that there will be improvements in the future and that the NHLPA is in contact with players who sought more information on what they can and cannot do when it comes to wagering.

Fans also Weigh In on Ads

Previously, hockey fans have also expressed their frustration with the influx of betting-related commercials and endorsements during games. One of those was Gordon Rendell from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L., who said that these ads are forced upon people every few minutes during games. Robert Suggitt from Edmontonian who is a die-hard hockey, said that these ads turn him off.

Source: McAllister, Steve “Shane Pinto suspension the result of a regulated gambling market that works, say industry insiders” BNN Bloomberg, November 1, 2023