'Deplorable' sports gambling repercussions

Monday, April 06, 2026

Written by Sarah Berman Copy Editor, Digital News

Good morning. The new space race is understandably top of mind as Artemis II astronauts make their way around the moon. But Canada and NATO have another planetary mission on their hands — a race to secure the Arctic. Plus, the former MP who spearheaded big changes to Canada's sports gambling rules looks back on legalization five years later.

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Former MP behind sports gambling legalization sees some 'deplorable' repercussions

The former MP who spent more than a decade pushing to legalize single-event sports betting says he doesn't regret it — but says its implementation is in some ways "sad" and "deplorable."

What happened: Former NDP MP Brian Masse introduced a private member's bill to lift the prohibition in 2019, and one year later, Conservative MP Kevin Waugh re-introduced Masse's bill. It passed with support from MPs across parties in 2021. But Masse says, five years later, legalized sports betting hasn't been implemented in the way he had envisioned. "It's deplorable the way that some of the provinces have actually implemented it. They've allowed the private sector to basically own and operate," Masse told CBC News.

What's next: Ads for sports gambling are now omnipresent on TV. A 2024 analysis found gambling messages filled up to 21 per cent of Ontario sports broadcasts. Last month, a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found a jump of more than 300 per cent in young men contacting Ontario's mental health helpline for gambling-related problems. A new bill to regulate sports betting ads, Bill S-211, is now at second reading in the House of Commons.

Kate McKenna has the story

Inside NATO's race to secure the Arctic

Amid Russia's war in Europe and Trump's still-lingering threats toward Greenland, NATO has established an initiative known as Arctic Sentry to defend the top of the world.

What's happening: Canada and NATO allies are stepping up training and surveillance in the Far North. One senior military official says Canada is aiming to operate up there as many as 11 months out of the year, but with 36,563 islands covering nearly four million square kilometres, the Arctic's extreme conditions and vast distances pose significant challenges.

Tech issues: In the Arctic's extreme cold, drones and other military gear become difficult to operate as batteries drain faster. According to a recent policy report, NATO is behind both Russia and China in developing drones capable of flying and fighting in Arctic conditions. As part of an alliance-wide technology upgrade, Canada has fast-tracked a program to buy modern submarines that can operate under ice.

Murray Brewster has more on Arctic Sentry

Police probe gun, SUV used in Ryan Wedding-linked homicide for ties to unsolved cases

Investigators are trying to figure out how the shooting death of a 29-year-old father and alleged drug trafficker in Niagara Falls, Ont., fits into a web of unsolved crimes suspected of being linked to Ryan Wedding.

What's happening: Two years after Randy Fader was killed in his driveway — purportedly targeted by a hitman known as "Mr. Perfect" hired by Wedding's alleged criminal network — police are still trying to unlock the victim's iPhone and identify at least one other suspect. The details come from a recent court filing signed by a Niagara region police detective.

Tangled web: Fader's alleged killer was arrested in Ontario and charged with murder as part of the U.S. case against Wedding. Niagara police said they believe at least one other unidentified person was involved. Investigators are looking into whether the firearm and Audi used in the homicide may also be linked to other crimes. U.S. authorities have said Wedding's network is linked to dozens of killings, but have not outlined why they suspect Fader became a target of the organization.

Thomas Daigle has the story