Gambling Statistics in Canada

Published: 25/01/2022

The Canadian Gambling Industry Size

In 2011, the size of the Canadian gambling industry peaked at USD16.09 billion. As of 2021, the industry has a size of USD14.04 billion.

Number Of Active Players

Canada has the 8th largest gambling community in the world. The total number of active gamblers in Canada is a whopping 19.3 million individuals.

One of the most surprising statistics out of Canada is that of an individual who lost $701,000 from a single EGM venue. The individual has a record of 294 visits to the EGM in a year, which gives an average loss of $2,385 on every visit to the EGM.

The Online Gambling Industry In Canada

Some of the statistics regarding the online gambling industry in Canada are surprising. A lot of information on this area is available on Canada Infolink. According to the facts, there are more than 2,000 online casinos in Canada. In 2015 alone, Canadian players racked up $10 billion in losses on online gambling sites operating offshore and in Canada.

Some good news regarding the online casinos is the return to players. The online casinos return more than 96% in wins to players compared to the country’s 60% returns from land-based casinos. The online casino players also make the most money from gambling sites between 4 PM and 6 PM.

In October 2018, Canada recorded the largest win on a slot. This was a total of $20,059,287 on the Mega Moolah slot. This is a big deal for a country that doesn’t place taxes on returns from gambling except you play professionally.

Slow Growth In Number Of Casinos Between 2002 And 2018

With the growth of online gambling, it is easy to overlook things happening in the land-based casino space. However, one of the noticeable statistics is the increase in the number of land-based casinos from 78 in 2002 to 147 in 2018.

Unlike in many other countries, there is slow growth in Canada’s number of land-based casinos. This implies that many Canadian players are learning to be cautious about casinos and building responsible gaming habits.

The Larger Population Doesn’t Enjoy Casino Games

Casino games like slots, video poker, baccarat, and other table games are very popular in several countries. However, this isn’t the case in Canada. A large selection of the population in the country states that they prefer lottery as of 2019. The next largest group picks lucky scratchies, while the casino games have a low population.

Minimum Age Varies

Canada has a unique system in which provinces have separate gambling laws. As a result, the minimum age for gambling varies from 18 to 19. Provinces like Manitoba, Ottawa, Alberta, and Quebec use 18 as the minimum.

Gambling Demographics

Although many individuals expect gambling to be more of a male problem, Canada has a gambling population that is closely spread across both males and females. In Canada, male gamblers make up 57% of the entire gambling population, while female gamblers are 43%.

Gambling is open to players from 18 or 19 years in Canada, and most of the gamblers in the country fall into the 18 – 34 age range.

Gaming Is A Major Contributor To The Canadian Economy

According to the Canadian Gaming Association website, gaming provides more than $15 billion to the Canadian economy. This makes it the largest segment of the entertainment industry in the company, providing about $9 billion in revenue to fund government projects. It also provides jobs to over 182,500 Canadians.

Gambling Operators In The Country

Any gambling operator that intends to set up shop in Canada must meet with the provincial authorities. Since each province sets the gambling laws, an operator must get licenses specific to the province it intends to operate.

Gambling Addiction Can Influence Sentencing In Canada

According to Research Gate, gambling addiction is often a significant factor when determining the fitting punishment for individuals in Canada. Criminal behaviour may be linked with gambling addiction. This implies that individuals with an addictive disorder may be led to criminal actions to obtain funds to sustain their addictions.

Risky Gambling Habits In Canada

The KFLAPH and OPUS-ULETH state that the problem gamblers in Canada sit at 0.6%, with 2.7% of the adults in the country being compulsive gamblers. The percentage of problem gamblers in Canada is lower than the global average, which is excellent news.

Ontario Leads In Per Capita Spending On Lottery Tickets

Ontario has the most spending per capita on lottery tickets in Canada. There is a $1,000 spending for every man, woman, and child in the province. In terms of losses, Quebec has the most considerable gambling losses due to its high population per capita and high casinos per person in the province.

Conclusion

When looking at the gambling statistics in Canada, some individuals may assume that these figures are outrageous. However, those who compare these statistics with those from other countries will get a better picture. The Canadian authorities are doing an excellent job controlling gambling issues within the country.

In general, the country doesn’t promote gambling among its population. A common requirement for gambling websites is to provide a page detailing the issues with problem gambling and finding help for players in the country.

Author: Alex Casan

Alex Casan loves slots! He looks for new titles and slot features. Since Lucas is a designer he is also helping us with the graphic & technical aspects of TopCasinoSites.bet. As a freelance journalist he covers many aspects of gambling and writes guides on slots and other casino games.