There’s no questioning the fact that Canada is a country that likes to gamble. Estimates are that around 75% of the adult population indulge in the activity at some point in the year. It may be betting on their favourite sport, trying their luck in the casino, bricks and mortar or online, or it may just be buying a lottery ticket.

Whatever the activity, it all adds up to an annual gaming revenue predicted to be worth $21.5 billion this year.

As we shall see, with more provinces starting to take a more formalised approach to the licensing of online operators this figure is set to rise to well over $24 billion by 2029.

This year is set to be a pivotal one in several respects for gambling in the country thanks not just to an increasingly liberalised approach, but due to advances in technology as well.

The online casino boom

It all started back in 2022 when the ground-breaking province established iGaming Ontario to issue licences for outside operators to be able to ply their trade. This proved to be such a big success that there are now around 45 operators running over 70 different gambling sites.

2025 is very likely to see Alberta going down the same route as Ontario by licensing operators for legal play in that particular province. The purpose of this will be to destroy what has become known as a grey market in which players can use foreign sites but have no protection or restrictions on the way that they play.

Naturally, another key benefit for the province will be the tax revenue, as well as the licensing fees, that will be raised to go straight into the government’s budget, while the best real money casinos available to Canadians will be easier to access than ever before for residents.

Other provinces such as British Columbia are also certain to be looking on with interest before deciding whether or not they’re going to make their own move.

Land-based casinos

You might expect that the boom in the online sector would be having a distinctly adverse effect on the country’s many land-based casinos.

While their revenues have certainly been declining slightly over the last few years, many are continuing to thrive.

Some are even appearing to be distinctly bullish about the future. A prime example comes in the form of the Casino De Montréal. This is in the midst of a $150 million revamp to include a new 200 room hotel to attract players from both the domestic and international markets.

Also thriving are the country’s many First Nation casino resorts which combine gaming with first rate accommodation and entertainment, following the Las Vegas blueprint, but maybe minus the neon lights.

Game on for sports betting

Sports fans have long proved themselves to be willing to pay huge sums to follow their teams – as Canadiens fans will be able to attest. So it comes as no big surprise that revenue from sports betting is also set to grow.

Like online casinos there has long been a grey market in the activity. But the provinces who are committed to eliminating this might well bring in more difficulties for sports fans. Whereas before placing a bet was a frictionless, if borderline illegal, processes under new restrictions may well start to make it a two-stage process.

This is because there’s a strong chance that more stringent ID checks will be introduced which are likely to be unpopular with sports bettors as it’s sure to disrupt their access to chosen sportsbook. However, the added protection it will afford is probably a fair trade off.

Increasing restrictions on marketing

Looking ahead there are likely to be more safeguarding measures around the area of betting. Already advertising restrictions have been put in place to prevent sportspeople and celebrities from featuring. There is also a ruling that no advertising is allowed before the so-called “watershed hour” of 9pm.

It could well be that there may be moves to go even further in order to impose the total ban that was placed on tobacco advertising back in 1989.

If this does become a subject for debate we can be reasonably sure that there will be considerable lobbying from the operators themselves to avoid it, along with a willingness to impose greater self-policing.

With the increasing importance of the tax revenue that gambling is starting to generate it’s also unlikely that many provincial governments will be heavily in favour of a total ban, but only time will tell.

So 2025 promises to continue to be a time of transition for gambling throughout Canada. But one thing is for certain – now that the country has reached this stage the momentum is set to be all forwards, and never go into reverse.