How Does Canada’s Gaming Scene Compare with Other Countries?
The gaming industry is a multifaceted one that has grown rapidly and is now far more expansive than ever in Canada, and other countries around the world. With traditional video and PC gaming continuing to advance, other types of gaming like mobile and online gambling have also witnessed enormous growth globally.
Like most other aspects of Canada, its gaming industry, market size, and demographics are diverse and strongly reflective of European and North American influence. Here’s how Canada’s gaming scene compares with other countries.
Online Gambling is Huge
Canada’s gaming industry as a whole is massive and ranks among the largest gaming markets globally. However, aside from traditional gambling, Canada also offers a regulated online gambling industry. iGaming trends in the industry mean its online casinos often provide perks like sign-up bonuses and free spins. The popularity of crypto casinos even means you can play blackjack with Bitcoin, or a variety of other casino games like poker, baccarat, roulette, or slots, with any cryptocurrency that’s accepted. For example, you might prefer a Solana casino if you’re an altcoin user – and you’ll still find loads of great games there.
If cryptocurrency isn’t your thing, the Canadian iGaming market caters to a diverse array of traditional payment methods like debit and credit cards. However, for those who prefer more secure methods, there’s also a variety of options like e-wallets, digital checks, prepaid voucher systems, and many others too.
This diversity of choice has made Canada a major player in the world of online gambling, with it ranking in the top 10 among countries that spend the most on online gambling. Despite regions like Ontario catering for a fully legalized online gambling industry, other regions have not been as explicit in regulating the industry. Here’s how Canada compares to other regions where online gambling is very popular.
The UK
The UK has the largest online gambling market in the world, with the UK Gambling Commission overseeing a comprehensive regulatory framework that governs it. While the iGaming industry is expansive and covers all types of online casinos and casino games, sports betting is also a massive contributor to the industry.
The USA
Although the iGaming industry is currently only legal in a handful of US states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania, there’s been massive growth in the industry that’s seen it grow to become one of the largest online gambling markets in the world. With many other states currently mulling over legalization or actively working on legislation to make it happen, it isn’t a stretch to imagine that in another few years, the USA will grow to become the largest online gambling market.
Other Regions
Other countries like Australia, and many Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. also have massive iGaming markets. However, Canada’s novel approach in decentralizing its online gambling regulations and leaving it up to each province to self-regulate has resulted in a more relaxed legislative environment than most — although places like Ontario heavily restrict gambling ads.
This has helped propel the country into having one of the most technologically advanced and expansive iGaming industries in the world. With a wide array of players, online casinos, and games driving its market, the country has a thriving tech industry for developers too. However, as enormous and popular as Canada’s online gambling industry is, it’s still eclipsed by its border gaming culture and market share.
Canada’s Broader Gaming Market
When it comes to gaming in a more traditional sense, as in PC, console, and online gaming, Canada ranks among the largest markets in the world. While dwarfed by the US market and often overlooked as a result, the Canadian video gaming market has been growing for decades now. A multibillion-dollar industry, the country’s major cities like Toronto have also become hubs for tech advancement and game development in the industry.
The Diversity of Players
Like the country as a whole, Canada has a very diverse gaming population. With well over 50% of the country classifying themselves as gamers, according to Newswire, online gaming has played an integral part in creating diverse gaming communities in the country. In fact, gaming culture runs so deep there that gaming has been hailed for bringing Canadians together, helping to improve national ideals of inclusivity, and fostering a sense of togetherness.
In contrast, although Japan has a larger gaming market and a more radical gaming scene, it’s the infusion of gaming into pop culture that has led to the Asian nation’s greater obsession with gaming. Through a myriad of pop cultural means, payers in Japan have gaming integrated into their daily lives from a far younger age. However, while gaming is much more prevalent among younger people in Japan, Canada has begun shifting to a more diverse array of age groups who enjoy gaming.
Since generations who grew up at the dawn of eras like the birth of the Sony PlayStation, and other technological landmarks in the gaming era, Canadian gamers now range from young people to communities of gamers who are well into their 30s and 40s. Many Canadians have reported a range of benefits brought on by gaming, such as stress relief, improved levels of cognition and hand-eye coordination, and greater social interaction among online gamers.
The Games Canadians Love Most
Known for its welcoming culture and reputation for celebrating multiculturalism, Canada has a diverse range of people among its gaming communities. As a result, it also has a wide range of gaming interests.
For example, aligning with its sporting culture when it comes to sports, through aspects like its passion for ice hockey, many gamers prefer sports-themed games. In other gaming communities, role-playing games, first-person-shooters, racing games, fighting games, and many other traditional gaming genres all have their place among Canadian gamers.
On the other hand, like it is with many parts of the world, the massive boom in smartphone technology over the last few decades has resulted in mobile games experiencing exponential growth. As a result, mobile-friendly games like Angry Birds and Minecraft are also among the most popular games in Canada.
What Games Other Parts of the World Enjoy
Gaming culture is a truly global interest. However, as it is with most things, cultural differences can often play a role when it comes to differences in taste. As a result, not every region enjoys playing the same types of games. Here’s how Africa, Asia, and Europe compare to Canada when it comes to their taste in gaming.
Asia
With the world’s largest gaming markets, Asian countries often have distinct gaming affinities. In places like China, mobile games are extremely popular. However, in Japan, games like Pokémon Legends find more favor. With gaming often taken to ultra-competitive levels in Asia, the continent’s taste and skill levels as a whole are usually far more distinguishable and culture-oriented.
Africa
With countries like South Africa being one of the pioneers of the iGaming industry, online gambling and mobile games are extremely popular across Africa. The socioeconomic struggles of many African regions also make mobile gaming more accessible and cheaper, leading to them often enjoying greater popularity there.
However, games like Call of Duty and sporting games like the FIFA series (now EA Sports FC) have also traditionally been very popular in some African countries. With a developing market that’s growing more robust every year, Africa is quickly becoming a new mecca for developers.
Europe
Gravitating more to PC and console games, the European market is mostly dominated by franchise offerings like League of Legends, a team game that offers interactive play and a multiplayer arena.
On the other hand, games like EA’s football offerings have always been popular due to most European countries’ love affair with the beautiful game. However, even with fantasy epics, RPG games, and racing games, Europe has a large market for all major genres that lend themselves well to PC or console gaming
Conclusion
Canada enjoys a diverse and robust gaming culture that caters to a wide array of gaming interests and gaming types. Boasting one of the largest iGaming markets in the world, the country maintains a more federated system of regulation that allows it to thrive there.
Gaming is widely recognized as bringing people together, while Canadian players are diverse in age groups and the types of platforms and games they favor. Unlike places like Japan, which have distinctive gaming trends which reflect pop culture, Canadian gaming interests are more diverse and cater to everything from online gambling, to PC, console, mobile, and online games.
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