Gambling Statistics Canada 2025 – Unveiling Canada’s Gambling Landscape

According to Canadian gambling statistics, participating in casino games, sports betting, and lotteries is incredibly common in the Great White North. Approximately six out of every 10 Canadians gamble frequently, while there are around 19.3 million active online gamblers in Canada.

This underpins a thriving gambling market in provinces such as Ontario. We’ll take a closer look at the marketplace in the comprehensive guide below, while drilling deeper into demographics and the most popular gambling activities.

Overview of Gambling in Canada

According to Statista, net Canadian gambling revenue is projected to reach $15.59 billion by the end of 2025. Over the subsequent four years, it will also grow at a steady CAGR of 2.95%, creating a market valuation of around $17.51 billion in 2029.

Casino gameplay is the largest contributor to Canadian net gaming revenue (NGR), generating estimated revenues of $9.57 billion in 2025.

Ontario is the key driver of this revenue. Launched in April 2022, it has generated an impressive $7.064 billion in lifetime NGR, while the market has grown by 129% during the last three years.

In 2023/24 alone, Ontario produced an NGR of $2.2 billion. This was up by 75% when compared with the previous 12-month period, and it’s the highest annual total since the market initially launched. This was derived from the $63.3 billion in wagers placed by Ontario residents during the reporting period.

Ontario is the only one of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories that operates an open gambling market. This means that international operators are free to apply for a license, with 50 parent companies and 85 different betting brands now live in ON. The remaining jurisdictions are closed and feature one or two government-backed brands, with 10 offering online and retail gambling.

Conversely, Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories only allow gambling via various retail locations.

Statistics on Gambling in Canada

Next, we’re going to take a look at some headline Canadian gambling statistics and ask what insight can be drawn from them.

Gambling Activities: Frequency and Types

Canadians engage in various gambling activities such as lotteries, casinos, sports betting, horse racing, bingo, and poker. A recent study revealed that approximately 75% of Canadian adults gamble on one vertical or another, so let’s take a look at participation rates across different activities:

Online Gambling Canada Statistics

As we’ve touched on, the online gambling sector in Canada has experienced significant growth in recent years. Of the $15.59 billion total NGR generated by the nation’s gambling sector, around $5.55 billion (35.27%) comes from online activity.

The virtual casino sector is similarly dominant and accounts for 62.34% of the online yield ($3.46 billion). This number has also increased markedly as the Ontario market has grown. Online slots are the most popular verticals, with 78% of casino players regularly accessing games.

Blackjack is the most popular table game among online players. Some 45% of players regularly play this iconic game of skill. Online roulette is slightly less popular, with 38% of players enjoying this game of chance. However, this percentage is slightly higher than the global average of 37%.

Online sports betting is projected to generate a little more than $2.04 billion in 2024/25. This is an incredibly highly growth vertical, with this trend demonstrated by the remote betting market in Ontario. Here, online sports betting generated $64.5 million in April 2025 alone, with this up 34% when compared to the previous month. It also increased from $56.7 million year-on-year.

With most Canadian gambling provinces closed and restricted to government-backed entries, many players continue to seek out offshore brands. To this end, Canadians spend around $4 billion at offshore casinos, despite Ontario opening up its market in April 2022.

Popular Gambling Activities in Canada

We’ve already touched on the structure of the gambling market in Canada, both on and offline. This includes the most popular and generative verticals, including lotteries, online casino games, and EGMs. Below, we’ll take a closer look at these activities and appraise their popularity nationwide.

Lottery and Raffle Participation

Lotteries and raffles are among the most popular gambling activities in Canada, with the number of online lottery players expected to rise to 1.1 million by 2029. According to the gambling statistics Canada 2021, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) reported lottery sales exceeding CAD 4 billion for that fiscal year.

Raffles, typically organized by charities and non-profit organizations, are also popular. They provide essential funding for community programs while giving participants the chance to win prizes.

Casino Games and Electronic Gaming Machines

Diving into some online gambling Canada statistics, we discover that online casinos are an integral part of the Canadian gambling industry that only seems to be gaining in popularity. Across the country, especially in provinces like Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta, casinos provide classic table games such as blackjack, roulette, and poker alongside modern slot machines.

Electronic Gambling Machines, including slot machines and Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs), are particularly popular among Canadian gamblers. Ontario has almost 24,000 of these machines, followed by Alberta (20.335), Quebec (16.283), and British Columbia (12.931). In total, there are around 67,000 such machines in Canada.

They are widely accessible in casinos, racetracks, and licensed venues like bars and lounges, and they’re one of the most prevalent forms of gambling in the country. Besides slots, players also enjoy online poker sites that feature table games.

Sports Betting Gambling Trends

The recent growth of sports betting in Canada followed a trend first set in 2023/24. This year saw 42% revenue growth within the vertical, with basketball, soccer, football, hockey, and baseball dominating betting volumes.

In Ontario, some 29% of sports bets were placed on basketball. Soccer was the second most popular sport, accounting for around 15% of all wagers. Next came American football (13%) and hockey (9%), while baseball trailed with 8% of all bets placed. This trend is reflected nationwide, which is interesting given ice hockey’s status as Canada’s national sport.

In the Canadian sports betting market, user penetration hit 52.9% in 2025. Not only is this figure relatively high, but it’s also projected to rise to 61.8% by 2029.

Horse Racing

Horse racing continues to be a prominent part of Canada’s gambling sector. After all, some of the iconic events, like the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack, are held in Ontario. The Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency reports that annual wagering on horse racing consistently exceeds CA$1 billion, with events like the Canadian Derby particularly popular.

Esports Betting

Beyond horse racing, Canadians are exploring niche markets that extend the scope of traditional sports betting. Esports betting is gaining momentum in the online gambling industry, for example, with this vertical’s revenue projected to peak at $119.6 million in 2025.

This number is also expected to record a CAGR of 4.90% over the course of the next four years. This means that it will outstrip projected growth in the overall CA gaming market, before peaking at $144.8 million in 2029.

Gamblers’ Demographics in Canada

Players in different regions, age groups, and genders have different gaming preferences. Let’s take a look at some of these preferences based on Canadian demographics:

Gambling Patterns Based on Age

Overall, younger Canadians within the 18-34 age bracket are less likely to gamble than those aged between 35 and 54. Some 45% of those in the 18-34 demographic report that they don’t spend any money on betting, compared to just 36% of the older age range.

The statistical majority of online gamblers in Canada are aged between 30 and 50 years old. Younger respondents tend to prefer iGaming and verticals like esports and online casinos, whereas older bettors enjoy traditional options such as bingo and sports betting.

Gambling Behaviors by Gender

Across all gambling verticals, men are slightly more likely to gamble than women (69% vs 60%). However, there are significant differences in terms of how both genders wager their money. For example, male bettors are three times more likely to bet on sports in Canada, and twice as likely to wager on table games like blackjack.

Conversely, approximately 34.8% of female Canadian gamblers wager regularly on bingo and instant lottery games. The corresponding percentage for men is just 31.1%. There’s little difference between men and women when it comes to EGMs. 12.9% of male players regularly play EGMs, compared to 12.3% of women.

Broadly speaking, 56% of males say that they have gambled online in Canada. Just 43% of women have made the same assertion, so the iGaming market continues to cater to a male-dominated audience.

Although just 3% of both men and women spend over $100 per month on gambling, males bet more on average. 18% of men are more likely to spend up to $100 a month, compared to 10% who would not. 44% of female bettors spend between $1 and $20 per month on average, highlighting a clear trend throughout the industry.

Gambling Participation by Region

Residents of Quebec are the most likely to engage in gambling activities, with a participation rate of 69%, while those in Saskatchewan/Manitoba are the least likely, with a 50% participation rate.

The lower rate of gambling in Saskatchewan/Manitoba is due to a smaller proportion of people spending between $1 and $20 monthly on gambling compared to the national average (33% versus 43%). However, the percentage of individuals spending over $20 on gambling matches the national average at 17%.

In contrast, Quebec shows a higher participation rate at all gambling spending levels. For instance, while 43% of Canadians typically spend between $1 and $20 a month on gambling, 48% of Quebecers do the same. Moreover, 21% of Quebecers spend more than $20 a month, compared to the national average of 17%.

Native American Gambling Trends

When it comes to gambling in Canada, statistics frequently show that Indigenous people show higher rates of gambling activity than non-indigenous people. Around 72.4% of Indigenous people gambled in 2022/23, compared to their non-indigenous counterparts (where the numbers stand at around 65%).

Income and Gambling Behaviors

Across the country, the percentage of Canadians who spend between C$20 and C$100 a month on gambling remains relatively stable in each region, fluctuating between 12% and 17%. Additionally, the number of people spending more than CA$100 a month on gaming does not exceed 3% of the player base, across both male and female demographics.

Households with an income lower than $25,000 are among the least likely to gamble in Canada. 53% of this demographic do not spend any money on gambling, compared to just 39% of households with a combined income of $25,000 and above (up to $55,000). Around 38% of households with an income above $55,000 report that they regularly wager their money.

Around 17% of households within the middle-income group spend between $20 and $100 per month on gambling activities. The corresponding figures for higher and lower income households are 14% and 9% respectively.

Gambling Laws in Canada

While the federal government sets the broad legal framework for gambling, individual provinces now have the power to regulate and operate specific forms of gambling. This includes lotteries, casinos, and online platforms. Below is an overview of key aspects of Canadian gambling laws as they currently stand:

Federal vs Provincial Gambling Regulations

All provincial gambling legislation is underpinned by federal laws, which have undergone a significant overhaul in recent years. The biggest evidence of this was the introduction of the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act 2021 – Bill C-218, which made it legal for provincial governments or their licensed agents to manage lottery schemes and provide sports betting markets.

Current Legal Status of Online Gambling

Of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories, 10 now offer both online and retail betting markets. However, only Ontario has created an open and competitive market, with this now home to 85 different casino and sportsbook platforms.

It was the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act that enabled ON to create this marketplace. This amended the criminal code to allow for single-event sports betting, with Ontario launching a fully competitive market in April 2022. This continues to be regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario (iGO), with the latter now operating as a standalone entity.

Although no other province has decided to follow Ontario’s example, we have seen further legislation introduced since 2022. There’s the Ban iGaming Advertising Act 2023, for example, which seeks to prohibit the promotion of online gambling brands and recommends sanctions of between $25,000 and $1,000,000 for proven breaches.

Recent and Upcoming Legislative Changes

The passing of Bill C-128 was a turning point for the Canadian gambling industry since it allowed bettors to wager on individual sports events. If current trends continue, provinces will keep expanding their gambling options, particularly online platforms.

There may also be additional changes in the areas of customer protection and responsible gambling initiatives, as the industry continues to grow. However, there’s no indication that another province will create an open and competitive market like Ontario anytime soon.

Ontario’s Leadership in Legalizing Online Gambling

Ontario has spearheaded the Canadian betting law reforms by launching a fully regulated online gambling market. Elsewhere in Canada, provinces only operated one or two government-backed gambling platforms, opening the door to offshore brands in the process.

Operators can now apply for an Ontario license, which must be issued by the AGCO and managed by the iGO. 50 parent companies have met the criteria to qualify for a license, with 85 different casinos and sportsbooks now live in the province.

Online Gambling Statistics Canada – The Economic Impact

The Canadian gaming industry is large and robust, present in every region of the country and affecting the economy accordingly. The gambling statistics in Canada for the current year suggest that the market’s NGR will hit $15.59 billion by the end of 2025, before peaking at $17.51 billion in four years.

Before the launch of Ontario’s competitive market in April 2022, the Canadian gambling sector was worth just $2.61 billion. So, the success of the ON market has helped to drive exponential growth in Canada overall, although the exact rate of growth is poised to slow slightly and stabilize in the next four years.

According to data collated by Gambling Industry News, Canada’s gambling sector supports over 182,000 jobs nationwide. Brick-and-mortar casinos provide the majority of these jobs, from live dealers and waiters to managers and security staff. The majority of iGaming roles are focused on software and game development.

Elsewhere, it’s estimated that some $14.6 billion is spent on goods and services that are associated with gambling. Once again, this is largely driven by low deposit limits at offline casinos, which are often part of wider hotel and entertainment complexes.

Gambling Awareness: Understanding Risks and Responsible Play

Being informed about responsible gambling practices is key to having a fun and safe gambling experience. According to, around 2% of Canadians struggle with moderate to severe risk gambling-related problems, which is commensurate with the fact that around 3% of Canadians wager more than $100 per month on average.

To avoid experiencing problem gambling symptoms, you should take actionable steps to protect yourself. These include setting customizable deposit limits, which can help to manage your bankroll practically based on your betting activity. Self-exclusion is also available at regulated sites, enabling you to take breaks from betting and sponsored messaging for a fixed period.

Gambling Addiction Statistics Canada: High Risk Groups and Vulnerabilities

Certain groups in Canada are more vulnerable to gambling addiction due to a mix of demographic, psychological, and social factors. Gambling addiction statistics in Canada show that younger adults (aged 18-34) and men are more likely to engage in risky gambling behaviours, with men being twice as likely to develop gambling problems compared to women.

Lower-income individuals are also at higher risk, often drawn to the perceived chance of financial relief through gambling. Mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, can further increase susceptibility.

Cultural background can play a role, too, as communities with limited access to mental health resources may face higher risks without adequate support systems.

Resources and Support Systems Available in CA

If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction in Canada, there are plenty of resources and support systems available to help. Here are a few key resources in Canada:

Future Outlook of Gambling in Canada

The future of gambling in Canada looks dynamic, driven by emerging trends and technological innovations. Online gambling, especially mobile platforms, is expected to continue growing as more provinces expand their digital offerings. Innovations like live sports betting, virtual reality casinos, and AI-driven personalized gaming experiences are shaping the industry.

Esports betting is also on the rise, attracting younger demographics. On the regulatory side, we may see tighter consumer protection laws and responsible gaming measures as the market evolves. All in all, the gambling scene in Canada is set for some big and positive changes in the coming years.

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