Canada’s gambling industry has evolved quite a bit over the last few years, and Quebecers have grown increasingly fond of gaming activities, finds a study by Statistics Canada. According to the survey, 69.1% of Quebecers have indulged in gambling activities at least once last year. It is safe to assume that a similar percentage can be applied to Montreal residents.
Statistics Canada’s study found that a significant amount of Canadians or 64.5% over the age of 15 have admitted to having participated in gambling in the past year. Estimations suggest that this would put the number at around 18.9 million individuals. This is no surprise as currently there are plenty of gambling options for everyone including playing from one’s mobile device.
Findings from the Study
As per the latest data, there is about an equal number of male and female gamblers with men being slightly more active at 56%. Also, most gamblers are in the 30 to 50-year-old demographic and they come from well-off households. Meanwhile, older gamblers prefer classics such as bingo and sports wagering, while younger ones are quite fond of the slots.
Canada is now in eighth place in the world for gambling expenditure, as its residents spent over CAS$4 billion on online sports wagers. Quebecers and Montreal bettors are no different as they are also keen on sports betting. Like most Canadians, Quebecers are also likely to follow sports and place bets on either hockey, basketball, football, or eSports.
It should be also mentioned that the percentage of Montreal residents accessing online gambling options is close to the national and provincial averages. This is due to the fact that these days there is an abundance of online gambling sites. Also, men are still more likely to gamble via online casino platforms than women, with slots being the most popular iCasino preference.
Also, Montreal locals are not far from the number of Canadians who indulge in gambling, and with the number of online and in-person gambling options, their desire to play is easily met. Overall, more men prefer to gamble than women, and they opt for sports betting games like hockey, basketball, and football. Meanwhile, niche sports such as motor racing and esports are becoming more popular too.
Is Gambling Availability a Problem?
After the massive expansion of the gambling industry in the Great White North over the last few years, more and more addiction experts are worried availability of sports betting could be harmful. David Hodgins, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Calgary said has evolved in a way that it is now quite similar to slot machines due to its availability and the ability to wager on almost everything.
Canadians are also not impressed by the overflow of gambling ads. Recently, polling and social listening data company IPSIS issued a survey that found 48% of Canadians agree that gambling commercials are out of control. It discovered that 63% of Canadians agree, 21% strongly and 42% somewhat agree, that there should be constraints on the amount and/or placement of ads
Source: “What percentage of Montreal’s population enjoys gambling?” Montreal Times, February 21, 2023
