The gambling industry has been one of the fast-rising industries in Canada. The huge number of online casinos available for players to wager and make money is enticing and Casinomatcher has worked to ensure that it points you to the casino that fits your expectations!
But there is more to gambling in Canada. The journey to reach its current status has not been easy and has been turbulent in other cases. This guide is focused on giving you background information on gambling in Canada and every other information you need to know about the gambling journey to where it is now!
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Everything you need to know about gambling in Canadian Casinos 2020
Gambling goes back to ancient times and was mostly viewed as a way of making ‘easy’ money. Over the years, gambling was normalized as well as its popularity increasing. People started making huge amounts of money from gambling and this led to the establishment of land-based casinos where a person would walk in, play some of the games, and win money if in luck. As the technology evolved, some land-based casinos decided to go online and this was another milestone achieved. This is where we are at now!
With the convenience levels improved, players can now create an account with the online casino either through a desktop, tablet or mobile at their comfort and play for real money. A wide array of online casinos is available with a variety of different games to choose from. But how did we get here? Here is a background study of gambling in Canada!
History of Gambling in Canada
Gambling in Canada dates back long before John Cabot’s arrival who together with his crew brought playing cards. He would realize that long before his arrival, the indigenous people and the natives already had a form of betting which involved sticks, stones, and bones and was referred to as ‘Slahal’. This game had a lot of emotional, spiritual, and physical significance to the community. After the playing cards, then came poker, blackjack, dice games such as barbotte, craps, and faro as days and years went by.
The European settlement in North America, however, brought a conservative attitude towards gambling. This is as a result of the British common law that had seen many dice games including backgammon rendered illegal by Richard III back in the 1380s. The reason behind this was that he thought the soldiers were being distracted by gambling. This saw gambling banned in Canada under the Canadian Criminal Code in 1892.
This ban did not last for a long time as by the 1900s, the charity events saw raffles and bingos being permitted. Ten years later (1910), horse racing betting was legalized in Canada and this would see residents put money on horses they thought were favourites to win. The gambling legalization would proceed slowly with the granting of permission to exhibition fairs to hosting gambling events by 1925.
Time passed by and the country started developing a different perception of gambling. It was no longer viewed as an immoral practice but rather a boost to the country’s revenue. Among the major gambling reforms experienced before the 20th century was in 1969 where the Pierre Trudeau’s-led administration legalized the introduction of public lotteries. This would see, in 1974, the first lotteries collect money for the Olympic games which were to be held in 1976 in Montreal. Among the lotteries set up during this time included those in; Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The four provinces would later join to introduce the Western Canadian Lottery Foundation in 1974.
The surge and continued interest in the already available games in the country led to the establishment of the first commercial casino in 1989. The casino was opened its doors in Winnipeg. The next establishment was in Montreal in the year 1993 and since then, more and more casinos started popping in Canada stretching from Manitoba and Quebec to Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.
Another major reform done on the gambling journey in Canada was in 1985 where the transfer of gambling control was given to the provincial jurisdictions from the federal government.
The Online Transition
As the years went by and gambling still gaining traction in Canada, there was another shift. Technological developments in the 21st century saw some of the land-based casinos introduce the online versions of the popular card games and slots in diverse styles, themes, and sounds. With the growing internet penetration, more and more players would access these online versions and enjoy them from anywhere. This is where the birth of online casinos began… and this is where we are at!
Presently, whether you are at home, in a park, or anywhere, through your phone or tablet, you can log into an online casino you have an account with, scroll through the online games ranging from online slots, table games, live dealer games, video poker, roulette or blackjack, and make a wager!
A crucial point to note, however, is that before a casino goes online, it has to be licensed and approved by the regulatory body available in the jurisdiction the casino wants to operate.
The online casinos have been a welcome boost to the gambling industry with more revenues being collected from this sector. To show the earnings boost realized by gambling, here is a 2018 gaming report.
According to the report, Canada gaming profits took an upsurge of 4.9% in 2017 up to C$17.3 billion. The countries capital Toronto and Ontario as a whole contributed the highest revenue of C$7.445 billion which was about 43% of the country’s revenue. This was a 12% growth. Quebec took the second position with an upsurge increase of over 2% to provide revenue earnings of C$3.6 billion. British Columbia also ranked highly with a rise of 1.36% to provide a revenue of C$3.14 billion. The 2018 report incorporated the land-based casinos, online casinos, charitable gaming, and lotteries. Online casinos, however, contributed among the biggest share.
Online gambling is touted as the biggest thing that has incorporated all types of players. New players can get to familiarize themselves with the games provided with some providers going a step ahead to provide free games that the players can get to try. What’s more, to incorporate the new players, even more, some online casinos have provided demos to guide them and give a good insight into the games.
The major highlight with online casinos, however, has to be the promotions and bonuses offered to the players. Whether existing or a new player, you will certainly have something to look forward to. At Casinomatcher, we have extensively dealt with the bonuses ranging from the general types and the specific bonuses one can expect, the crucial terms and conditions to keep an eye on, and some of the FAQ related to bonuses.
Who legalizes gambling in Canada?
Gambling is legal anywhere in Canada but has been regulated by different entities. This is the reason it differs in the 3 territories and 10 provinces in the country. As a consequence, one is advised to regularly check if there is any gambling law change either in the territory or province. Remember, in 1985, there was a transfer of gambling control from the federal jurisdiction with the powers granted to provincial jurisdictions. Some of the regulatory bodies include; Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, British Columbia Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch of the Ministry of Finance, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority. However, most of the casinos operating in Canada will have their licences from; the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Commission, and the Gibraltar Gaming Commission.
However, there is the Canadian Gaming Commission which oversees all the gambling events in the country. For offshore gambling, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission has been the main regulatory body since most of the offshore gaming servers are located there. Offshore gaming is popular in Canada with many online gambling sites trying to avoid several penalties, losing revenues, and assets to the government. This results in the sites to base their servers outside Canada. However, the sites will still advertise to Canadians and offer them products and services. Other offshore servers have been hosted mainly in Gibraltar, United Kingdom, and The Isle of Man.
Another point to note is that an age requirement has been set to the people who can wager in Canada. All provinces except Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec have set their age requirement at over 19-years-old. The aforementioned three provinces have the age requirement set at over 18-years-old.
Does Canada gambling have a future?
The simple answer is yes! The virtual concept we presently are in shows that the casinos in Canada, whether land-based casinos or online casinos, will keep on gaining popularity. A rise of casinos has also been noted and so are the number of software providers who have ensured that the players have a huge selection of games to choose from.
There is still the information part that is widely available on the internet that has extensively shown people the pros and cons of online gambling. The responsible gambling section is also available on all legal online casinos and this page seeks to advise players on gambling responsibly. Additionally, measures have been put in place by the casinos to ensure that players do not get into problem gambling. Among the measures include limits such as deposit, spend, and time placed.
Gambling has also been a major source of income to the government and this when correctly regulated, is only there to last. Change is inevitable. That’s a fact. However, what is expected in the gambling sector is that it will keep on soaring high.
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