Gambling in Canada: a 2018 Study Says Problem Betting Is Under Control
According to a four-year-old study, problem gambling is reportedly under control in Canada. We are referring to a Statistics Canada study dating back to 2018, which analyzed the behavior of 300,000 Canadian citizens and found only 1.6 percent of them to be potentially at moderate and severe risk of developing an addiction.
The study highlights that most Canadians-95 percent-were found to have no problems, while about 3.4 percent were considered low risk.
In addition, the gambling habits of subjects older than 15 years of age from the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) were examined.
The results were applied to the Canadian Problem Gambling Index, which is concerned with assessing problem gambling behavior and its consequences.
But can this study be considered reliable in 2022?
Although four years have passed since the research and much has happened in the gambling landscape in Canada since then, the data still remain interesting.
However, the authors of this particular research, stated that in view of the new technology and gambling possibilities, more regular and detailed monitoring of activities is essential.
The idea is to evaluate at the end of 2022, the data that will emerge.
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) and the prevention of problem gambling.
Indeed, the Canadian gambling landscape has really changed since 2018.< With a population of about 39 million and so many people gambling online thanks to technological innovations - but also because of the pandemic - the research from four years ago is just a snapshot of the situation as there are online operators working to reach new audience.
According to this 2018 study, about two-thirds, or 64.5 percent, of Canadians aged 15 and older said they had gambled at least once during the year.
While those aged 45 to 64, are the age group that plays the most (72.3%).
Areas where percentages of players exceed the national average include Newfoundland and Labrador (74.6%), New Brunswick (72.1%), Saskatchewan (70.9%) and Quebec (69.1%).
While contrary to expectations, citizens of Ontario (62.2%) and British Columbia (59%) showed values below the national average.
It is important to consider that the Lottery according to these statistics was the favorite betting activity of Canadians, as about half of people said they had bought at least one ticket during the year.
Also, through the survey, it was learned that only 7.5 percent said they had wagered on casino games and 7.9 percent had made some kind of sports bet.
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is an independent nonprofit body dedicated to the prevention of problem gambling.
And according to the RGC, the data does not take into account new regulations on sports betting.
Indeed, in August 2022, Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, was passed in Parliament. This measure made Ontario the first Canadian province to launch a regulated iGaming and single-event online sports betting market back in April.
This decriminalization of single-event sports betting, along with the launch of Ontario's new online marketplace, has opened up completely new gaming scenarios across Canada. At least since the time of the Statistics Canada study.
Final thoughts
Canada is nonetheless in a leading position with respect to responsible gaming, although it is critical to understand what kind of impact Bill C-218 will have, with its repercussions in Ontario and other jurisdictions.
It will be the RGC's job to conduct marketing and advertising research by working with Flutter Entertainment, a FanDuel company.
Understanding the data is also basic for the RGC to provide useful information to regulators, as well as operators, so that it can be incorporated into operational plans.
There are currently 35 online gaming sites operating in Ontario, and, according to regulators, this figure could double by the end of 2022.
