When it comes to online gambling, Canada is one of the global leaders in terms of population participation. More than half of Canadians gamble online regularly. Looking by numbers, the country ranks 8th in the world. It is no wonder that many online casinos are based in Canada. But those aren’t the only Canadian online gambling facts you didn’t know.
Online Casinos Spending
Annually, Canadians spend $4 billion in online casinos abroad. That is a staggering figure, but less than a quarter compared to more than $17 billion they spend in home-based casinos. This tells us that the gambling industry is alive and well in Canada, thank you very much for asking. Whether it is a sense of patriotism or simply convenience, Canadians largely prefer their own online casinos to those based offshore. Most domestic online casinos are based in one of four provinces, namely Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario.
Demographics
When it comes to gender, men participated in gambling far more than women, to the tune of constituting around 80% of all online casino visitors. A huge chunk of that number also enjoys sports betting regularly. In terms of age, men from 30 to 55 are most likely to gamble online. Coincidentally, they are also the most frequent visitors to Canadian Casino Bros, the country’s premier online casino reviews site. This is only logical since people like to check online gambling platforms before joining them. After all, it is your money, and you don’t want to risk it by giving it to some shady site before getting all your facts.
The Biggest Win
The biggest win in the history of Canadian online gambling was 20,059,287.27 Canadian dollars, won on a jackpot on the Mega Moolah slot. It happened on February 27th, 2018, and the player decided to stay anonymous and not reveal his or her name. The decision is an understandable one, as suddenly having all that money can make you a target for not only criminals but greedy family members as well. In fact, out of those too, many people would prefer dealing with criminals. We do know that the jackpot was won in Zodiac Casino. Just like the previous seven jackpots paid out by Mega Moolah, it happened in the other half of the month, so if you plan on playing some slots, we would suggest doing it after the 15th of the month.
Most Popular Games
Just like any other group in the world, Canadian gamblers enjoy playing slots the most, especially players older than 35. 72% of all casino goers regularly play them. Table games are most popular with the 18 to 34 demographic group, with 18% of them playing them, followed by electronic table games. Poker is roughly equally popular among all demographics, with 59% of all casino visitors playing it. These percentages correspond to global trends, with a few minor differences. Slot games are popular with all demographic groups and only sports betting is a more popular gambling activity. Unlike poker or blackjack, slots are fairly easy to learn and don’t require any complicated strategies to have fun playing them. Poker, however, has its own, specific allure and people are drawn to it.
Gambling Addiction
One of the major issues with gambling in Canada is gambling addiction. Between 1% and 2% of all adults suffer from it. Translated to numbers, that is around 600,000 people, which is a fairly large number. Just like drug or alcohol addictions, gambling addiction can and often is a very disruptive disorder, one which can wreak havoc on the lives of those suffering from it. Financial, family, legal, even health problems can all be caused by gambling addiction. Fortunately, Canada takes this problem seriously and the government has addressed it appropriately. There are numerous ways of getting help if you need it, from various support groups to even gambling addiction hotlines.