 |
News > Casino News Archive > Jun 2005 > Online Casino Gambling in Canada |
24 Jun 2005
Government-run online gambling has become an almost $13-billion industry in Canada, with about 87,000 gambling machines, 60 permanent online casinos and 33,000 lottery ticket centers pumping money into provincial coffers, according to a new study .While the report from the Canada West Foundation shows that growth in the online gaming industry has leveled off this decade after a dramatic rise in the 1990s, it notes provincial governments are still heavily reliant on revenues generated from things such as card tables, lottery tickets and slot machines.
Online Gambling-related profits of $6.3 billion now approach what comes in from taxes on fuel and liquor. Gambling in B.C. has experienced significant growth in the past four years, despite a leveling off and even a decline in some areas of the country. The expansion is due to more online casinos slot machines and new, bigger casinos in the province. B.C. has 19 online casinos, the most of any province. And there are 161 per cent more slot machines in the province than there were in 2000 -- a total of 5,673 in 2004 -- according to the report. Howard Blank, vice-president of Great Canadian Casinos, said the increase in the number of slot machines in the country can be attributed to the overall expansion of the casino industry from a games-based experience to something more focused on entertainment. People aren’t just coming to gamble at B.C. casinos, he said. They are coming for the concerts and other live entertainment, the restaurants, and the hotels. For example, the Coquitlam online casino is currently expanding and adding a theatre.
“It’s not just slots,” Blank said. “The majority of people are coming for the whole experience.” This trend toward overall adult entertainment in B.C .online casinos also means increased traffic from both tourists and locals which translates into more demand for slot machines, he said .Before the Liberal government took power in B.C. in 2001, there was a cap of 300 slot machines per online casino. Since then, the Liberals increased the provincial cap, then removed it entirely.
Related News:
|
|
