Online casino gaming in Canada is a booming business and this virtual revolution has kicked into life a new love affair between Canadians and gambling. From a once humble industry that only seemed to serve experienced grinders, the Canadian casino world is now welcoming punters from all walks of life and it's thanks, in large part, to the growth of iGaming.

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Vancouver - August 3, 2015 - Online casino gaming in Canada is a booming business and this virtual revolution has kicked into life a new love affair between Canadians and gambling. From a once humble industry that only seemed to serve experienced grinders, the Canadian casino world is now welcoming punters from all walks of life and it's thanks, in large part, to the growth of iGaming.

Over the last decade casino gaming in Canada has, on the whole, grown. From a respectable $5.3 billion (USD) in 2006 to an all-time high of $6.2 billion (USD) in 2015, the growth of casino gaming has resulted in a vast array of new casinos opening up across the country.

Although there is a plethora of reasons for this growth, one of the most obvious is the proliferation of iGaming. According to a report by KPMG, Canada's online casino market is worth an estimated $1 billion (CAN) per annum thanks to platforms such as 32Red Casino, Betway and Royal Vegas. Offering a mixture of blackjack, roulette, slots and baccarat, these sites have given casual gamers a cheap, non-threatening way to experience the thrills of casino gaming.

In fact, as the industry has gradually developed over the last few years, the range of games and variety of limits has gradually become more engaging for players of all persuasions.

Whether someone enjoys betting for just a few cents or high stakes, 32Red Casino and its iGaming peers have made their platforms as accessible as possible.

In line with this growth, social gaming has also become big business in Canada. Thanks to platforms such as Facebook, novice gamers can compete against their fellow players in games such as poker, table games and slots without spending any cash. Combined with chat facilities and in-game bonuses, these social casinos have increased the level of activity across Canada and shattered the illusion that gambling is for hardened grinders.

Thanks to the growth of online gaming, both in the social arena and inside real money portals such as 32Red and 888casino, bricks-and-mortar venues have enjoyed an explosion of interest in recent years. The reason for this, aside from live and online venues forging relationships to give players more, is a changing social attitude towards gambling in Canada.

Although there are still some that feel gambling isn't for the recreational player, the general attitude throughout Canada is now hugely positive. Aside from people now understanding that casinos can form part of an evening's entertainment and not simply serve as a place for grinders to make money (indeed, most Canadian casinos have shops, restaurants and bars inside them), the industry has had a positive impact on the economy as a whole.

In addition to generating more than $6 billion (USD) in annual revenue, revenue which is taxable, casinos across the country have become a major source of employment for locals. In fact, according to research by Ken Wong, an associate professor at Queen's School of Business in Kingston, a number of municipalities are looking to the casino industry as a way to generate more income and boost flagging economies.

One city that embraced this growing casino culture in 2013 was Vancouver. Costing almost $600 million to build and complete with hotels, conference facilities and entertainment venues, the casino complex may have had a slow start to life, but it's now under construction and looking like a hugely positive attraction for the Edgewater area.

In fact, one of the reasons why the Paragon Gaming's casino complex was delayed for almost five years was because of uncertainty regarding casino gaming. Although the iGaming industry was in full flow in 2011 when the plan first came to light, there was still a certain amount of scepticism from both politicians and local residents. However, as the online industry has grown and become ever more accessible thanks to mobile devices, people are now beginning to see its true value both financially and as a social driver.

Current projects suggest that online gaming will continue to grow both in Canada and on a global scale over the next decade. Although different analysts have delivered different theories, many believe that thanks to online gaming (see table below) and the increasing liberalisation of US iGaming, the global online gambling market could be worth in excess of $120 billion per annum.

Find more statistics at Statista

For operators such as 32Red, Royal Vegas and 888casino, this projected growth has a number of immediate benefits. However, for the industry as a whole, the health of the online arena seems to be directly linked to the fortunes of the bricks-and-mortar world. Moreover, as the bricks-and-mortar casino world begins to expand, the national benefits, such as tax income and local jobs, begin to increase which is beneficial to everyone.

Although some Canadians may still give the casino industry a sideways glance, the facts suggest that social attitudes are changing and the economic benefits are such that any future growth should be viewed in a positive manner.