Canada is fast becoming one of the biggest draws for entertainment investment in the world – from movie sets to gaming companies, investors who are looking for global expansion understand that Canada still represents an untapped market. 

This is even more true when we look at online casinos and similar – where providers like online casino Canada and other game operators have been flocking to Ontario since the newly minted iGaming Ontario developed a framework for licensing and regulations that opened the market. 

Gaming in Canada

In Canada, as with the rest of the world, when it comes to gaming it is the digital side of the business that brings in the most revenue. What makes Canada stand out in video game terms is the sheer number of Canadian video game companies that are actually owned by Canadians: a staggering 75%. The number of video game firms in Canada has more than doubled between 2013 and 2023, and some of the smaller firms in the country have made some of the most impressive video games. In 2022, 77.5% of video game companies had less than 5 employees, and yet managed to create games that outperformed some of the big name titles in terms of gameplay and player ratings.

With video games, it is almost an equal split between women and men who play, and action games remain the most popular alongside the more casual games that are often played on smartphones. This shift into mobile gaming is something that developers are working hard on at the moment, that and virtual reality. You can easily see why it is such a growing market, when eight out of ten internet users also play video games. 

It gets really interesting when we look at online gambling as part of the Canadian gaming market, however.

Online Casinos in Canada

In theory, online casinos and related activities are not legal in Canada; but provinces are able to make their own decisions. On a practical level, Canadians who want to play casino games from the comfort of their own home could create an account with an online casino operator based outside Canada (if they allowed international members to join). 

This option is less safe for the player than having a dedicated, local regulatory body.

However, in April 2022, Ontario was the first province to make a real change, providing a full licensing and regulatory framework that created an environment that promoted responsible gambling while encouraging financial growth through taxation – and it has really made a difference. Just from a financial point of view, online casinos in Canada have a projected revenue of CAD$3.4 billion by 2026, which is a real leap considering that the scene has only been set for the last three years. 

To see what a real difference this relaxation of the central government’s rules has made, we can check out the growth in the industry in the first year. 

iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gambling Commission of Ontario licensed 13 operators to provide different online gambling opportunities, including sportsbooks, virtual and live dealer table games, and of course, slot games. By the end of that first year, there were 1.6 billion active user accounts across these 13 operators – a huge amount of players getting involved with the newly minted online casino service. 

A Canadian’s Favourite Game

Topping the charts for most adult players are action games and casual games – but that differs by age. Increasingly, the younger generation are choosing to play more social games, games that build community and allow real time conversations. This includes games like Call of Duty, Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto, among others. Older gamers are more likely to pick up a strategy game, or maybe play some cards. 

What is particularly important is that many Canadian players choose to play in the online casino using a smartphone, making it even more accessible for players. 

When it comes to online casinos, however, the most popular game type by far is online slots. A study in 2021 demonstrated that 48% of Canadian players were playing slots, while only 19% were playing virtual table games. 

What is very obvious, from both online casinos and video gaming, is that this is a market destined for growth, and embracing the local Canadian game developers as well as the ever-changing legal framework of gambling in Canada will give operators the opportunity to get in to new provinces in Canada, leading the way for more and more opportunities for growth. 

And this can only benefit the players. More choice in providers means that gamers can make their feelings known when something isn’t working out, and they can just open an account with another provider to get the best deals for their playing. For the video game aficionados, who know that gaming isn’t always about the top titles, the proliferation of game developers who are calling Canada home will ensure that games continue to be more fun and interesting.