US Gambling Industry Nearly Eight Times Larger Than Canada's: What The Numbers Say
Introduction
There are still sizeable differences between the US and Canadian gambling industries. The total revenues to the south of the border from wagering are reportedly eight times larger than those here to the north of the border.
What does that say about the relative strength or weakness of our domestic gambling sector? Is there anything we can learn from our southern neighbours? Or, do statistics and figures really matter?
Eight Times…
The gambling revenue in the USA is 8 times larger than the industry here in Canada, but the population of the United States is exactly 8.21 times larger than Canada’s.
In real terms then, Canada’s gambling industry is performing ever so slightly better pound for pound, or per capita, than the USA’s. So, whilst the headline to this article – a fact being touted everywhere at the moment – is somewhat misleading, it does tell us something interesting about our domestic gambling industry – it’s thriving.
But why? Let’s take a look.
Impending Regulation
The real money casinos in Canada, according to Trish Wheaton of Casino.ca, are performing well for a number of reasons. The first being the quality and range of games available to residents. shadow of impending regulation and legalisation that hangs over the domestic landscape. Lawmakers and politicians have finally grown sick and tired of seeing CA$4 billion in taxable revenues leave the country each and every year to overseas online gambling providers.
Their answer to this situation has been to spend years drawing up a robust and defined legal framework that will create a fully licensed and well-regulated domestic online gambling industry, similar in scope and size to that of the United Kingdom.
But what makes Canada any different from the United States in that regard? Isn’t the US government doing the exact same thing?
Differences in the United States
In the United States, gambling regulation operates differently. Rather than a single nationwide framework for online gambling, individual states determine their own policies. This has resulted in a varied landscape in which some states permit online wagering under regulated systems, while others maintain stricter limitations.
The state-by-state approach can create uneven market conditions and differing levels of access across the country. At the same time, larger population numbers and well-established land-based gambling industries contribute to the US market’s higher overall revenue totals.
In lieu of leadership from the federal government, individual states have instead been left to formulate their own policies towards online gambling, leading to a patchwork of legalisation across the country.
There are some states where almost anything goes in terms of online wagering, and others where free to play charity lottery type casinos have bent the rules and laws as far as humanly possible to provide locals with access to online gambling facilities.
Technological adoption also differs. In Canada, mobile gaming apps and cryptocurrency payments have been widely embraced, making online gambling more accessible and secure. In contrast, US states vary widely in digital infrastructure and acceptance of newer payment technologies, which can slow adoption and fragment the market. Consumer attitudes also play a role: cultural, religious, and moral perspectives shape both regulation and participation rates, particularly in regions with strong opposition to remote gambling.
In Summary
Pound for pound Canada is outperforming the United States in gambling revenues, and that divide will only continue to grow when the national government unveils the updated regulatory framework that it has been feverishly working on for the past two years.
The US of course, has the resources and economic pulling power to shift the needle and beat Canada on gross and per capita revenues, but the very economic factors that make it such a global powerhouse are exactly what is stopping it from becoming a world leader in online gambling. Meanwhile, Canada’s carefully regulated, increasingly tech-savvy market positions it to continue steady growth, particularly as domestic operators expand offerings and improve accessibility for players nationwide.
