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Gambling Has Become Big Business In Canada

April 11, 2008

Alberta gamblers contributed $2.3 billion to the province's economy in 2006, of which more than $1.6 billion went into government and charity coffers, says a study released Tuesday.

Of that figure, $1.3 billion went into the Alberta Lottery Fund, which used the money to fund thousands of volunteer and community-based initiatives and programs across the province, said Lynn Hutchings-Mah of the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.

"It goes into things like environmental issues. I've seen it used for funding field trips, purchasing playground equipment and funding things like libraries, book fairs, festivities to world seniors curling. Every community in Alberta benefits," she said.

The study, released by the Canadian Gaming Association, looked at the economic impact of Canada's gaming industry. It found that the industry's total revenues across Canada hit $15.3 billion in 2006 from $6.4 billion in 1995.

Of the $15.3 billion, governments and charities received almost $8.7 billion. The remaining $6.6 billion went to sustain gambling operations.

An Ontario problem gambling researcher slammed the gaming association study as a "public relations move" designed to downplay the dark side of gambling.

"Clearly, it is a public relations exercise, and perhaps a very good one," said Judith Glynn, director of grants operations at the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre. "When you're looking at economic impact, you have to look at social and economic impact and it's difficult because some of the things you can measure in numbers and dollars and some of them are more qualitative in terms of changes in the character of a community and people's sense of safety, sense of pride in their community.

"Even if you're just looking at the economic impact, this study does not identify the opportunity costs, and that is, what would happen if the money that people in the local community spent on gambling was spent elsewhere."

The Canadian Gaming Association represents gaming industry operators, manufacturers and suppliers.

The study also found more than 267,000 Canadians are employed full-time in the gaming industry and the businesses which it supports, resulting in $11.6 billion in salaries, wages and other income in 2006.

The study marks the first time that detailed analysis of the employment and economic impact of the country's gambling industry has been broken out by province. Ontario leads the pack with 102,236 jobs, followed by Quebec with 51,636, Alberta with 43,342 and B.C. with 32,246. The numbers include those employed directly in the industry, in gambling-related government and charitable organizations, and jobs that service and support gambling.

"Gaming has grown significantly over the past decade to become an essential pillar of the entertainment industry in Canada," said Bill Rutsey, president and CEO of the gambling association. "It is now demonstrably clear how the majority of spending in the industry goes directly back to Canadians in the form of paycheques, construction in communities and revenues for programs and services and charities that we value."

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