Demographics Of Gamblers In Canada

In the last decade or so, the entertainment industry has become an integral part of the Canadian economy, with sports betting and online poker in Canada, and casino gambling boasting more than $9 billion in annual contribution to the government revenue.

Besides, there are more than $15 million wagered on sports alone annually. The industry also accounts for the creation of well over 280 direct and induced jobs in communities. Consequently, gambling has come under strict regulation, thanks to the licenses issued by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC).

Whether you are a casino enthusiast or you have a preference for a lottery, poker, or scratch, the Canadian gambling industry has a pretty bullish prospect for all categories of punters. But how does each gambling type fare in a highly competitive market like Canada? Let’s find out

Stats Based on Gambling Types in Canada 

In Canada, the gambling and betting option with the highest number of punters is the lottery. On average, lottery tickets take more than two-thirds –that is 65% – of the overall gambling market. This is followed by instant scratch tickets which take more than one-third (36%) of the participants. Casino lovers take a little over one-fifth (22%) of the gamblers in Canada.

Per a study from Ipsos Reid Lottery & Gaming, almost about half (49%) of those who visit casinos choose casino slot machines, making the slots the highest gambled on games in Canadian Casino.

In terms of top cities with the highest number of, the table below shows the trend, with Ontario taking the lead. The aggregate spending shows that slot machines record the highest number of money that goes into gambling in Canada.

City	Sales Amount (CAD)
Atlantic	1.18 billion
British Columbia	1.19 billion
Western Canada	1.48 billion
Quebec	2.73 billion
Ontario	3.79 billion

This is followed by lottery tickets and card games, including poker and blackjack, in that order. The figure will surge significantly if sports betting options have been included. Canucks are known to be popular with this type of gambling. You’ll hardly find anyone in Canada who regards lottery as gambling. It’s general endorsement among people

Stats Based on Age Demographics

Generally, the legal gambling age in most Canadian cities is 18. Some other provinces and cities put it at 19. On average, bettors’ age range in Canada is between 35 and 50, with slot players falling between 55 and 64.

A recent study shows that Canadians between the ages of 18 and 24 don’t go to casinos; rather, they often prefer to play PS or Xbox. However, previous stats indicate that Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 choose instant scratch tickets, lottery, or instant wins. Meanwhile, other research outcomes put the figure between 20 and 29. Canadians who’re 40 years plus often go for Bingo

Stats Based on Province

According to greatcasinoonline.com, the gambling industry permeates all Canadian provinces, states, and cities. However, like every other country, there are places with a larger density of gamblers in Canada. There are differences in gambling culture in different Canadian provinces. These differences are informed by several factors, including accessibility to games, legal restrictions, and more.

While Manitoba allows VLTs (video lottery), the province of Ontario places restrictions on the video lottery, with the latter recording 21% to 2% of the latter province. Ontario (Canada’s most populous province) recorded about 43% of the CA$17.3 generated in 2017 by the Canadian government.

In the Atlantic region, bingo is the go-to guy. Quebec with more than 10,000+ gambling centers is home to the largest gamblers and gambling options. It has more than 66% of gambling participants.

Identifying Symptoms of Gambling Addiction 

It can sometimes be difficult to admit that gambling could be addictive, especially when you don’t see it. Canadian gamblers also feel the same way. A recent study showed that only 2% of the gambling population in Canada thought that they were problem gamblers with 15% claiming they were never excessive with their gambling attitude. About 4% of Canadians depend on gambling for different purposes.

In case you’re not sure, here are a few symptoms to know about problem gambling and gambling addiction:

• You’re more interested in gambling than things you normally get excited about.
• Feel bored and disinterested when absent from gambling venues.
• Mood swings due to lack of participation in gambling.
• Accumulation of unpaid bills due to either negligence to pay or excessive loss in gambling.
• Lack of social life.
• Lateness to or absenteeism from work due to visits to gambling centers.

Average Player’s Spending on Gambling  

About 60% of Canadians spend money on different types of gambling and gambling activities, including casino games. Of this figure, circa 45% spends between as low as CA$1 and CA$20 each month while 20% spend an average of C$20 and C$100. Less than 3% of the Canadian gambling population spend above CA$100 per month on gambling. However, the proportion rises when it comes to millennials who spend on average of CA$130 on poker, and other playing cards.

Gambling among Men and Women in Canada

By default, everyone will assume that men are more gamblers than women. Typically, all across the globe, more than 80% of the online gambling population is men while women take just a little above 17%. However, if we go by offline stats, 43% of women will claim they are not interested in gambling, while 37% of men place no bet.

Let’s Wind Down

The next and final point to note is the sustainability of gambling in Canada. No doubt, the industry has come to stay, considering that more than 70% of Canada’s adult population engages in one form of gambling activity or the other. This percentage accounts for 30 million of the Canadian population. As we’ve observed, the demographics spread approximately evenly among different provinces that make up Canada.