Gambling is meant to be a harmless activity that can be fun and exciting, especially if you win. In Canada, it’s quite a popular pastime thanks to the country’s generally relaxed attitude to it. It’s become even more commonplace in recent years thanks to the province of Ontario launching a regulated online gambling market back in April 2022. It was the first to do this, and others have followed suit.
Nowadays, there are more options for online gambling than ever. There are lots of well-rated casino and sportsbook sites, such as 888 Casino, that Canadians can sign up for. With the number of gambling sites steadily increasing, it should come as no surprise that quite a large percentage of people in Canada spend money gambling every month.
Canada’s Monthly Gambling Statistics
Roughly 60% of adults in Canada spend money gambling at least once per month. While the statistics might sound shocking, it’s worth pointing out that Canadians don’t spend an excessive amount of money on gambling on average. In fact, only around 3% of people living in the country have a monthly gambling spend of over CAD 100.
The general consensus is that while gambling is without a doubt a popular activity in Canada, most people spend sensible sums of money on it. There will always be some people who end up developing gambling-related problems. Having said that, it’s encouraging that the number of people spending over CAD 100 on gambling each month is very low.
In terms of demographics, those aged 30-50 are the most likely to gamble. When it comes to the two sexes, men are more likely to gamble than women, with 63% of men engaging in the activity compared to 57% of women. Interestingly, statistics for mobile gambling have revealed that women are more likely to use their phones for gambling. Around 55% of women do this at least once a month.
What Happens Next?
The last few years have seen a lot of changes come about in certain provinces as they’ve opened regulated online gambling markets. Ontario is a prime example, as it was the first Canadian province to do this. The result is that a growing number of Canadians have been gambling online, and there are concerns that this could have a negative impact on real-life venues.
It’s not unheard of for gambling venues to close because of reduced takings. After all, playing on your computer or phone at home is a lot more convenient than having to visit your nearest casino or bookmaker. While physical venues are appealing because of the real-life experiences they offer, they can’t match the sheer number and range of gambling opportunities the internet has to offer.
Another point to make is that there are still many people in Canada with gambling problems. A common argument is that the internet increases gambling-related problems simply because it gives people instant access to countless gambling opportunities.
It’s likely that in the coming years, we’ll see more regulation across Canada. The number of Canadians who gamble monthly could increase, decrease, or stay the same; there’s no telling what might happen. But, hopefully, regulators and governments will work closely to keep the number of problem gamblers as low as possible.
Sources:
https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/six-ten-60-canadians-partake-gambling
