Nearly two-thirds of Canadians aged 15+ report gambling in the past year
Almost two-thirds of Canadians aged 15 or over reported gambling at least once in the past year, new data from Statistics Canada reveals. While most Canadians gamble for entertainment and without experiencing harm, almost 2% of gamblers were found to be at a moderate-to-severe risk of gambling-related problems, including financial difficulty and mental health issues. Statistics Canada collected this data before the implementation of the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act last year, which legalized single-event sports betting in Canada.
Most popular types of gambling
52% of gambling Canadians preferred purchasing lottery or raffle tickets, while 33% opted to play online games or buy instant win lottery tickets. 13% played electronic gambling machines like Video Lottery Terminals, for example, another 13% preferred betting on sports, and 7% opted for brick-and-mortar casinos. When it comes to online gambling, there’s certainly no shortage of casinos for Canadians to choose from. PlayOJO, for example, is a top online casino Canada – it offers over 2000 casino games and no bonus wagering requirements. It also provides new users with a generous 80 free spins.
Men vs. women
Gambling was most common in adults aged between 45 to 64 (72%) – compared with 44% of 15-24 year olds, and 65% of 25-44 and 65+ year olds. In all age groups, however, males were more likely than females to have gambled in the past year. Certain gambling activities were also more popular amongst men than women. For instance, around four times as many men gambled in speculative financial markets (6% of men compared to 1.5% of women). Men were also three times as likely as women to bet on sports, twice as likely to bet at casino tables (whether in brick-and-mortar establishments or online), and more likely to purchase lottery or raffle tickets (55% vs. 48%).
Women, on the other hand, played bingo more often than men (6% compared to 2%), and were also more prone to purchasing instant lottery tickets or instant online games (35% compared to 31% of men). The only gambling activity enjoyed equally by both men and women was electronic gambling machines (12% versus 13%).
What about gambling problems?
Statistics Canada found people with lower-incomes were more likely to experience gambling problems – despite being less likely than people with higher incomes to gamble. 71% of Canadians in the highest income brackets, for instance, gambled in the past year, with 1% of those people being at a moderate-to-severe risk of developing gambling problems. Conversely 54% of Canadians in the lowest income brackets gambled, with 3% at risk of associated problems. Since people with lower-incomes have less disposable income, even gambling small amounts of money tends to take up a larger chunk of their total spending.
Overall, gambling is becoming increasingly popular in Canada. These new statistics serve as a vital baseline of gambling behaviour across Canada, and will also help clarify any changes to this behaviour that may occur over time – possibly as a consequence of the recent new legislation.
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