Canada is one of the countries where gambling is incredibly popular, but it hasn’t always been that way. At the end of the 19th century, the government banned gambling across the whole country. Fast-forward to the beginning of the 20th century, and Canada lightened these restrictions for the general population by allowing betting on horse racing. Several decades later, Canadians were allowed to participate in luck-dependent games, such as lotteries and bingo.
At the end of the 20th century, gambling laws in Canada were changed again and restrictions were partially lifted. Finally, in the 80s, the ban on all types of gambling was revoked, which legalized the casino industry in Canada. The first casino opened in 1989 in Winnipeg and that shaped gambling for punters for years to come.
Today, the gambling industry is one of the biggest entertainment spheres for Canadians.
Here are 5 Exciting Facts about Canadian Gambling Industry You Didn’t Know:
The Gambling Industry Worth is Over $2.5 Billion
Year after year, the total gambling revenue in Canada exceeds $2.5 billion, and almost half of it comes from gambling sites in Canada and betting websites. Since it’s challenging for local gambling venues to operate within the country, offshore casinos capitalize on this. Curiously, an online casino spending per capita is higher in Canada than in the UK, where regulations are much more relaxed. According to estimates, if Canada took a British approach to gambling, the annual revenue could get up to $4 billion.
Between 12% to 17% of players spend from $20 to $100 on gambling. Surprisingly, residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba gamble less than everyone else. Quebeckers enjoy gambling the most with 69% of them partaking in it.
Both Young and Old Gamblers Love Slots
Punters between 30 and 50 years old participate in gambling online for real money more often than their younger and older counterparts. However, younger people are catching up with others and participating in gambling activities more and more. Moreover, the gambling preferences of these two groups are totally different.
While young people prefer to play active games with modern graphics and realistic sound effects, older punters, especially players 40+, lean towards more relaxing and steady games, such as bingo. What is interesting though is that almost everyone loves slot machines. Ever since the second half of the 20th century, slots have been a favorite of many Canadians. On average, a Canadian gambler spends around $824 on gambling and a big chunk of it goes to slots.
Canadian Gamblers Believe in Superstitions
Since gambling is a lot about luck and chance, many Canadians who play casino games believe in superstitions. For instance, there are many actions that can break your luck: touching another person’s shoulders, washing hands before playing, and entering a casino through a backdoor are just a few examples. Interestingly, these superstitions were brought from brick-and-mortar venues to Canadian gambling sites where everything is controlled by a computer.
Men and Women Gamble Differently
Both sexes actively play casino games in Canada, with 43% of women and 57% of men being frequent gamblers. What’s interesting is that women tend to play on their mobile devices more often than men, with 55% and 45% respectively. Unsurprisingly, Canadians from 18 to 34 are more interested in online gambling, while older folks prefer to visit brick-and-mortar casinos.
Mobile Gambling is Rapidly Gaining Popularity
Thanks to the advances in mobile gambling, virtually every player now can use their mobile device to play casino games. People usually use tablets and smartphones for gambling, while laptops are often ignored when it comes to betting.
In Canada, almost 90% of people own a mobile phone. Thus, they use it to access their gaming account anytime, which results in more people participating in gambling. If we take a look at the latest data regarding the gambling industry in this country, we’ll see that it keeps gaining popularity.
The number of players signing in with online casinos increased by 2% in 2020. This number went up in 2021 and is quite likely going to keep doing that for years to come. That’s one of the reasons why almost every online casino that offers services to Canadians is optimized for mobile play. Many casinos also have gambling apps in two languages: English and French.
When we look at current trends, online gambling in Canada is moving in the right direction. Everything that a person can do remotely or from home is in demand right now. Besides, Canadians have 24/7 access to various mobile devices. Thus, it’s expected for the gambling industry to keep growing and getting better.
Because of this, CasinoChan made an effort to optimize itself for Canadian gamblers. Join the greatest online casino to stay on top of the latest trends in gambling. And don’t forget to check out its welcome bonus!
