The gambling industry in Canada has come a long way since its humble beginnings. What started as a pastime for wealthy nobles has now become a multi-billion-dollar industry that employs thousands of people across the country. In recent years, the industry has undergone a major transformation thanks to the proliferation of online gambling. Today, more Canadians than ever before are placing bets online from the comfort of their own homes.
In this article, we will take a look at how the industry has been able to evolve in the Maple Leaf Country throughout time, while also looking at how it could potentially expand further and grow to new heights in the near future.
How has the industry evolved?
One of the most important changes to the Canadian gambling industry came in 2010 when the government legalized online casino gambling. Prior to this, Canadians could only gamble at brick-and-mortar casinos or through illegal offshore websites. The legalization of online casino gambling gave rise to a new breed of the operator, one that was able to reach a much wider audience than ever before. Today, there are dozens of legal online casinos in operation in Canada, each vying for a share of the lucrative Canadian market.
Another major change to the Canadian gambling industry came in 2012 when the government introduced regulations that allowed for the creation of regulated online poker sites. Prior to this, Canadians could only play poker through illegal offshore websites or at brick-and-mortar casinos. The introduction of regulated online poker sites gave poker players a safe and legal option for playing their favorite game from the comfort of their own homes.
A recent change to the Canadian gambling industry came in 2020 when the government introduced regulations that allow for the creation of regulated online sports betting websites. Prior to this, Canadians could only place bets on sports through illegal offshore websites or at brick-and-mortar casinos. The introduction of regulated online sports betting websites gives sports bettors a safe and legal option for placing bets on their favorite teams and athletes from the comfort of their own homes.
Now, in 2022, you are able to use a gambling platform legally in the nation’s most populous province. There has been a steady increase in the number of Ontario Online Casino sites since April 4 due to the changing of the laws. This law change – which was passed by the C-218 bill, saw iGaming activities, as well as single-sports betting, be permitted within Ontario for the first time, thus giving punters the ability to play their favorite casino games and bet on the sports that they wanted in an entirely new way.
What does the future potentially hold for Canada’s gaming industry?
As can be seen, Canada has already been able to experience a huge amount of growth and evolution in regard to this particular industry, however with it still relatively new to the country’s market, it would not be a surprise if we were to see it continue to evolve and grow in the future.
Indeed, there are a number of reasons why it is possible to make such predictions. Firstly, with it being considered to be relatively new, it may generate even more interest amongst the Canadian public in the future as it becomes more established, thus generating more money which in turn will allow it to grow and expand further.
Secondly, technology will likely continue to play a role and help the market grow further, too. The iGaming industry has shown that it is currently driven by tech as each of the games relies on it to operate as well as they do. Live casino games are currently one of the top options because of how immersive they are, but once virtual reality and augmented reality enter the mainstream, it would not be a surprise to see these technological feats help to take the industry to new levels.
Final Thoughts
The Canadian gambling industry has come a long way since its humble beginnings. What started as a pastime for wealthy nobles has now become a multi-billion-dollar industry that employs thousands of people across the country. Thanks to recent changes in government regulation, the industry is poised for even more growth in the years to come.
