Canadian gamblers spending more
Fewer Canadians are gambling but those who do spend more, creating a veritable jackpot for governments, a recent Statistics Canada report shows. Net revenue from government-run lotteries, video lottery terminals (VLTs) and casinos rose to $13.3 billion in 2006 from $2.7 billion in 1992. Even so, the 69 per cent of households that reported at least one gambling activity in 2005 was a slight decline from 74 per cent five years earlier. The average Canadian spent $513 gambling in 2005, ranging from a low of $111 per capita in the territories to $750 per person in Alberta. One in seven Canadians living alone say they spend money on gambling, but men spend more than three times as much as women — $1,396 compared to $434. 
Canada really is a gambling nation — much higher rates of gambling participation than most other countries in the world, says Robert Williams, co-ordinator of the Alberta Gaming Research Institute. There are simply more gambling opportunities in Canada than elsewhere, he says, whereas many U.S. states dont have a casino or even a lottery. According to the Canada West Foundation, a Calgary-based think-tank, there are 87,000 gambling machines (slot machines and video terminals) in Canada, 33,000 lottery ticket centres, 60 permanent casinos, 250 racetracks and 25,000 licences to run charity bingos, temporary casinos and raffles. Casinos raked in one-third of revenues in 2006, while lotteries accounted for 25 per cent and VLTs 23 per cent. Slot machines outside of casinos contributed 19 per cent of revenues. The data comes from StatsCan surveys on the labour force and household spending. Gambling will probably never disappear as long as it continues to provide a government windfall, but there should be greater responsibility. The government needs to be back in the gambling control business and out of the gambling promotion business.