2006
According to the national agency Statistics Canada, up to 1.2 million Canadian adults are at risk of experiencing gambling problems or already have troubles. Of those, 120,000 people have financial or social problems are depressed or anxious, or are alcoholics. These 1.2 million individuals represented 5% of the total adult population, and 6% of all gamblers. Statistics Canada noted that gambling continues to expand. One in four gaming machine players fell into the categories of problem or at-risk gamblers.
In 2002, an estimated 18.9 million adult Canadians wagered 11.3 billion Canadian dollars (U.S. $8.5 billion), more than a fourfold increase from 2.7 billion Canadian dollars a decade earlier.
In 2002, the last year for which national figures are available, the collective gambling revenue take for all governments was $11.3-billion dollars. On average, Canadians spent $447-dollars to satisfy their gambling urges. Albertans spent the most ($604-dollars) while people in the Territories spent the least - just $105-dollars.
In 2003, electronic gambling devices, most of which could be played by the average six-year-old, took in about $8-billion across Canada, compared with $400-million in 1993, according to Statistics Canada. That is more than eight times the $1-billion Canadians spend going to the movies annually, and dwarfs the $627-million shelled out for compact discs in 2003, although some of the gaming machine total does flow from foreign tourists.
2005
June 2005 - Government-run gambling has become an almost $13-billion industry in Canada, with about 87,000 gambling machines, 60 permanent casinos and 33,000 lottery ticket centres pumping money into provincial coffers, according to a new study.
While Canadians tell Statistics Canada they spend, on average, $272 annually on casinos, bingos, horse tracks and lotteries, the true average is $1,080, states a report, released by the Canada West Foundation.
That's above what Canadians spend on education ($1,007) and personal care ($834); close to what they spend on alcohol and cigarettes ($1,489) and four times what they spend on books and magazines ($272).
According to University of Lethbridge Professor Robert Williams, Canada has among the highest rates of problem gambling in the world, just behind Australia and Hong Kong. A recent Ontario government sponsored study found the 2003 moderate to severe problem gambling prevalence at 4.8%. If projected to the US population, this would yield approximately 14.4 million US problem gamblers.
Quebec continues to boast the greatest number of electronic gambling machine venues in the world (and the highest rate of suicide in North America.)
