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A Brief Look at How Gambling Is Evolving In Canada

The Canadian Gaming Summit Of 2017

At the 2017 Canadian Gaming Summit (CGA) the rapid growth pace in Canadian online gaming was the focal point. Like in many other countries, Canada is no exception when it comes to the tricky subject of online gambling. Until the 1960s, Canada was an anti-gambling country, although once legal rights were granted to gambling activities within its borders, this attitude was completely reversed.

The Canadian Gaming Summit 2016

At the Summit it was estimated that Canadian players spend around four Billion Dollars annually on online sports betting wagering. Betting and playing in casinos for real money are some of the most popular entertainment activities on the territory of Canada. Local gambling laws, however, are considered a bit complicated. To date several forms of land based gambling activities have been legalised by the Government. Companies are not allowed to operate any online casinos and poker rooms in Canada, but in a twist, most offshore gaming servers are located on the Kahnawake Native Reserve, which is still on the territory of the country.

A Brief History of Gambling in Canada

Canada was born in 1867, but long before John A. Macdonald became the first Prime Minister of Canada, the natives were testing their luck with various forms of gambling. In 1497, John Cabot discovered a native population who played games of chance. Cabot dug deeper and unearthed proof that people were gambling as far back as the year 6000 B.C. using sticks and pebbles, but the basic gambling concept was the same.
In 1892, Canada banned all forms of gambling but by 1900, both bingo and raffles were permitted and then later, horseracing was added as an acceptable form of gambling. By 1925, fairs were permitted the right to hold gambling events.
By the 20th Century gambling was no longer seen as immoral, and legislative changes were recommended. Two of the biggest amendments that took place were the legalisation of public lotteries in 1969, and the transfer of gambling control from federal jurisdiction to provincial in 1985.
Since the turn of the century, online gaming in Canada has grown exponentially. The first to launch a provincial iGaming website in 2004 was British Columbia, while other such as Quebec followed in 2010 and by 2015 Ontario followed suit.
The online gaming industry in Canada was affected in 2016 when NetEnt, one of the leading developers of online casino software announced that it would no longer supply its products to brands in Canada. UK online gaming giant, William Hill left the Canadian market in May 2016 for regulatory reasons and informed players to withdrawal all their funds. Other online operators followed suit, including Paddy Power in 2011 and Betfair in 2015. By the 12th of May 2017, NetEnt announced that it secured its approval to provide casino games by Canada’s BCLC.

The Canadian Gaming Summit Of 2018: Theme “Technology Holds the Key”

This year, Canada’s Premier Annual Conference for gaming professionals will be held during June at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Topics covered will be Gaming Operations, Lottery, Charitable Gaming, Legal and Regulatory, Gaming Technology, Non-Gaming Amenities, Gaming Compliance and Special Summit Presentations. Delegates and gaming professionals will be offered talks on how to be better prepared to keep pace with the industry’s technological advancements.