The Characteristics of Canadian Gambling Culture



Canada is the third-largest country in the world. It's known for many activities and accomplishments, but one of the country's aspects that still remains somehow of a mystery is its betting space. For this reason, we're going to dive into Canadian gambling culture.

Canadian Gambling History



In 1892, the Canadian Criminal Code banned all forms of gambling but it was later reinstated in the early 1900s, mostly by introducing bingo and lotteries as a way to raise funds for large projects. To date, Canada is home to more than 70 land-based casinos.

The Law

Canadian Gambling Culture Canada

Any form of betting is illegal unless it's overseen by the federal or provincial government. That being said, each province has its own betting laws. Ontario is the most populated province so it comes as no surprise that it's also the most saturated in terms of games of chance. In fact, it was reported that around 83% of the average adult gambles at least once a year.

Compared to other countries, Canada's gaming laws are quite lenient. The provinces have an average of 5 land-based casinos and activities like sports betting, horse racing, table games, electronic video slots and virtual casinos are completely legal.

Problem Gambling in Canada



In 2018, a whopping $13 billion was reportedly spent on gambling and research found out that the average citizen loses about $560 yearly on casino games. This goes to prove to what extent gambling is a major social concern in the country. To further prove this, it's worth noting that the country also consists of over 70 land-based casinos, around 96 000 gaming machines and over 25 000 lottery outlets.

In an effort to combat the issue at hand, the government implemented technological measures like face recognition, as well as a system whereby gambling addicts will be added to self-exclusion lists, and once on that list they may not be allowed to participate in any games of chance.

Facts and Statistics

Canadian Gambling Culture

  • About 65% of the population bets on lottery tickets, but only 22% visit brick and mortar casinos.
  • Most gamblers are over the age of 30.
  • 60% of the of the country's population takes part in games of chance. Only 17.6% of them are female and 80% are male.


Canada is the ideal place for punters to participate in their favorite games of chance, because the law is quite lenient and there are various betting options available to novice and expert punters.