The history of gambling in Canada is nothing but a long story of turbulence. Many believe that the arrival of John Cabot in 1497, June, and his playing cards had exposed Canada towards gambling. But the fact is contradictory since the indigenous people of Canada were already submerged into gambling with a game called Slahal, a native game with the community and spiritual significance.However, European settlement wrapped the whole concept of gambling with a more conservative attitude. Because of this, many dice games were banned, and the game called backgammon was a part of it. Richard III banned the game back in 1380, as it was causing a distraction for the then soldiers.
Gambling found its path to entertain punters but faced another ban in 1892 when the Canadian Criminal Code termed every form of gambling as illegal. But the ban could not stand for much time. With time, games like raffles and bingo were legalized for serving charitable purposes. Right after ten years, horse racing was a part of this list as a new inclusion. In 1925, fairs and exhibitions had gained the right to organize events on gambling games.
In 1969, the Canadian Government saw profitability in lottery games and decided to allow lotteries as a tool for funding their special projects. In 1974, a game of literature was held for funding the Montreal Olympics.
Over time, more power had been given to the provinces for running gambling on lotteries, video slot machines, and horse races. Now, the casino industry of Canada has become a huge attraction for the people who love to wager money for getting entertained.
Statistics say 60% of the population of Canada is involved in gambling activity, and 45% gamblers wager around $1 to $20 from their monthly earnings, whereas 14% tend to gamble between $20.01 and $100. This depicts the reason for the popularity of Canada’s top land-based casinos such as Betsafe Casino, Wildz Casino, LeoVegas Casino, and more.
Canada is a diverse country in terms of religious practices, where 38.7% of people are Roman Catholics, 23.5% are Protestants, and 23.9% of people are non-religious. The country is also home for the people who practice Islam, Sikhism, and Buddhism. According to the 2016 census, English and French languages are mostly spoken in Canada. Apart from gambling, Canadian people often take pleasure from games like ice hockey, soccer, baseball, and more. Furthermore, having a long root of cultural richness, people are not free from a few superstitions as well.
Canadians often uphold numbers like 7 and 39 as their lucky numbers, and consider 13 as an unlucky one, because of the existing Christian influence. These beliefs often get reflected in their decision making on gambling games as well.
But, along with all these conceptions and beliefs, the Canadian gambling market is set for massive growth. Being powered by modern-day technology, casinos are a lot more attractive to gambling hearts. And, if the casinos are willing to run their business under the terms and conditions of regulatory bodies, a lot more casino excitement will be available for the punters.