Useful Facts to Know About Canada Gambling

Canadians have gambled for eons. Fast forward to the last few hundred years and it's clear that gambling has evolved from pebbles and sticks, dice and cards, and lotteries and bingo to an industry that's currently worth over 13 billion dollars.

The one fact that's remained true over the years is that many Canadians love to engage in betting, whether that's in a brick-and-mortar casino or the wildly popular online casinos of today. That said, here are a few interesting Canada gambling facts you probably didn't know.

Canada's Number One Entertainment Industry

Gaming is the biggest entertainment business in Canada. The gaming industry is so huge in the country that even a combination of TV, music production, movies and professional sports doesn't quite come close. Territorial and provincial governments run all gaming operations. The industry employs over 267,000 people, with over 135,000 of them on a full-time basis.

Gaming Demographics

When it comes to gambling demographics, the focus tends to center around problem gamblers. But here, we're going to look at the positive side of what's one of Canada's major sources of funding for government programs. We're of course talking about responsible adult gaming.

Statistics show that men are the majority of players in the country, making up 80% of all players. They're mostly into sports betting and table games. Women also gamble a great deal, favoring bingo and lottery.
72% of Canadian casino players play slots. Table games are the next most favored games, while poker is the number one online game, with 59.7% of Canadians placing bets.
Candian online casinos payout 13% more compared to land-based casinos.
Most gamblers are young people who are at the start of their careers or in college. The gaming population ranges from the age of 35 to 50 in the widest of angles. Slots are apparently the most preferred games for many bettors aged between 55 and 64.
Most gamblers come from Alberta, Quebec, and British Columbia. When it comes to popular casino venues, Ontario and Quebec have the most popular casinos in the Great White North.

Problem Gambling

3% of adult Canadians are affected by problem betting, though there's an unlimited amount of support on offer.
Problem gaming is 4 times higher on the internet, compared to land-based gaming.

Largest Wins

Mega Moolah was the largest jackpot win on the progressive slot. It was worth C$7.5 million.
One of the biggest online blackjack jackpots on the progressive slot was worth $155,345. It was bagged by Scott Taylor.

Online Casino Stats

There are over 2,000 online casino gaming sites in Canada.
In 2015, Canadian gamblers lots $10 billion to online casino sites in Canada as well as abroad.
Online casinos return over 96% in wins, whereas brick-and-mortar casinos return under 60% in wins.
In online casinos, most money is made from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Tax Law on Gaming Winnings

This is one of the most well-known Canada gambling facts. If you're wondering if Canadians pay any form of taxes on their winnings, the answer is almost certainly no. In most cases, gaming winnings aren't subject to tax in the country.

The Canada Revenue Authority doesn't charge taxes on casino winnings and lottery winnings (provided that you don't earn a living that way and you're not a professional gambler). However, bookmaker winnings are considered income and are thus taxed.