The global gambling industry is going to continue to grow. It is already estimated to be worth billions of dollars with a gain of 500-billion USD predicted to take place by the year 2023. But where is Canada in all of this? Well, the Great White North is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the gambling world. Canada currently sits in the Top ten countries with the most gamblers. This is partly because of gambling laws in Canada being far from strict and that Canadians have easy access to various gambling options. In this article, we will explore why online slots are becoming so popular in Canada.
There Has Been A Polar Shift
The polar shift we are referring to has nothing to do with the Canadian Arctic Circle. It most certainly has nothing to do with weather and long winters. Instead, it has everything to do with gambling. A gambling industry study conducted by Research and Markets revealed that Canadians have moved from traditional gambling activities to online gaming. When you consider the ongoing explosion of online gaming, it makes sense. Add to this the restrictions related to public gatherings in Canada because of COVID-19, online activities of any kind has taken a jump. Land-based casinos in Canada have reported decreases in revenue over the past few years and have pointed to online gaming as part of the reason.
Where Canadians Play In The Online Casinos
In Canada, the online gaming industry collects roughly $31-billion a year. This covers all kinds of online games such as slots, video poker, table games, keno, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, live dealer games, and other card games. But there is one online casino game that gets the most attention from Canadian gamblers. That is Blackjack. As it is considered one of the easiest casino games to play, Canadians can’t seem to get enough and seek online casinos that offer many different varieties of the game. Plus, Canadians tend to prefer live dealer blackjack online games.
There is also another segment of the population that favors online poker. SuperSeven Casino has many Canadian players registered and the attraction there is the tournament format used by that software provider. Canadian poker players love to be in tournaments and it probably comes from the fact that sports of all kinds play a huge role in the early years of development for each young Canadian. Land-based casinos in Canada see players gravitating towards slot machines and blackjack tables.
Then there is yet another segment of the Canadian population that gambles by playing Bingo. Bingo halls are commonplace throughout Canada. Seniors halls, Legions, and recreation centers all have an electronic bingo board hanging on the wall ready for the weekly bingo night to arrive. Although heavily regulated by some respect, live bingo just draws a certain demographic that would not likely explore online gaming. Interestingly enough, in Canada, bingo is an accepted form of gambling that doesn’t appear like gambling to most who play the game.
Canadian Gamblers Like Certain Software Providers
Because Canadian gamblers are keen to play games that have many different versions, a few casino software providers are more popular than others in the Great White North. Names such as NetEnt, PlayTech, Real Time Gaming, Microgaming, 888Casino, Quickspin, NYX Interactive, Play’n Go and Evolution Gaming are favorites. There are also Canadian software developers who have entered the online casino industry. With all of this gaming activity, it is fair to say that Canada is very much involved in the world of online gambling and will continue to be.
Gaming Law Within Canada
This is where the grey area comes into play regarding online gaming in Canada. While the actual gambling activity has become a socially acceptable part of the Canadian lifestyle, the legal aspects are very different. Although the Criminal Code of Canada stipulates that Canadian bets should not be accepted by non-state licensed operators, gamblers in Canada have found a way around that. They can freely access off-shore bookies, bingo places, online casinos, and poker rooms. The Federal Government has allowed each province and territory to set their laws.
Quebec Is Setting The Precedent
The Province of Quebec was the first to put in place gambling laws but it is Number 3 in the country for the number of gamblers living there. Ontario is first with 28.1% followed closely by British Columbia (24.6%) and Quebec (20.3%). Quebec also leads Canada in the amount of increase in revenues it has realized as a result of gambling in the province. The average increase currently sits at 2.12% annually which equates to about 3-billion Canadian dollars per year. The provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are looking to adopt much of the legislation Quebec has in place with the main focus being online gaming.
The Gaming Industry Will Keep Growing
The growth of the gaming industry in Canada has only been in recent years and it positively impacted all forms of gaming. This included land-based casinos, online casinos, sportsbooks (land-based and online), lotteries, and bingo halls. Although much of the activity has seen Canadians spending money to play various casino games through off-shore casinos, the Canadian Government has not stepped in to take control. Lotteries generate a great deal of revenue in each province for infrastructure purposes. Possibly this has slowed the government’s interest in taking action with other forms of gambling.
In Conclusion
The numbers speak loudly when you examine the growth of online gaming in Canada. You can’t say it has anything to do with the long, cold winters because that doesn’t seem to be a factor. What has attracted Canadians in such numbers to play online games is the ease with which they can. Regulators are not as strict as they are in the United States and basically, if you have access to the internet in Canada, you can play online poker or slots or whatever you can find that satisfies your craving to be in the game.
