Closed brick-and-mortar casino venues across Canada have taken their toll on the gaming field of the country, as well as on the individuals associated with them. A recent study showed that Canada has managed to lose some CA$22,828,500 per day ever since the beginning of the lockdown back in March.
Ever since March 16 this year, in-person gaming in casino venues and gaming halls has been put on pause, as those venues had to close indefinitely. Physical distancing was the mandatory practice for protecting individuals. Both casino patrons and staff members are exposed to the threats of this unprecedented situation so they had to be protected through the closure of the venues. Canada has a total of 216 casinos and gambling halls.
Lockdown Impact
Each and every one of those venues had to close for business this spring, as management teams were worried that keeping them up and running could put both patrons and casino staff members at risk. Online gaming remained one of the only possible ways in which a person could gamble in a legal manner and still support the gaming field and communities.
About five months have passed since the first Crown corporation made it clear that in-person gaming is prohibited temporarily. Loto-Québec announced on March 13 that is will shut down its four casino venues and two gambling halls within the borders of the province of Quebec. Days after that other lottery leaders such as Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and British Columbia Lottery Corporation also joined the efforts to promoting physical distancing.
About five months after the temporary closure of the casino venues, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation made it clear that a casino reopening across the province will have to happen in a gradual manner. And now it is time for evaluation of the impact that the lockdown has had on Canada’s gaming field over this spring and summer.
Canada’s Gaming Scene
The study used information obtained from reliable sources to the likes of Statistica, The European Casino Association, and PWC. It aimed to provide the bigger picture when it comes to the international gaming scene and where Canada is positioned in it. On a global scale, the Great White North ranks in the fourth position, right after the state of Nevada, Japan, and Singapore.
Revenue lost for every day since the beginning of the lockdown amounted to some CA$22,828,500. This amount includes gaming revenue generated by land-based casinos, video lottery terminals, gambling halls featuring slot machines only, as well as bingo halls popular with their charitable operation. The impact this has had on the gaming field along with the casino operators overseeing gambling hotspots.
Great Canadian Gaming Corporation is among the leaders in the land-based gaming scene of Canada. It recently shed more light on its second quarter of this fiscal year. The three months in question spanned between the beginning of April and June 30, taking place entirely during the lockdown. The revenues during this second quarter of the fiscal year reached CA$62.8 million and they consisted of the yearly entitlement of service provider fees.
