By Alex Windsor
September 28th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
While the digital revolution has put many industries to the test, others like public services have thrived, such as the police who can take notes electronically when on duty. The development of new and emerging technologies has seen the success of the gambling industry skyrocket in recent years. Today, it is thought that 76% of Canadians take part in some form of gambling activity, whether that be a national lottery, visiting a casino or playing online.
Toronto – capital of Ontario – the province with interesting and exciting sports gambling locations.
In many countries across the world, gambling has traditionally been a taboo subject that has been frowned upon. As a result, many places including Canada have had restrictive gambling laws that have prevented the industry from growing. Yet, as attitudes towards gambling have become more progressive and laws have been altered to reflect this, the gambling industry is once again beginning to thrive in Canada.
Below, we’ll take a look at the thriving gambling scene in Ontario and investigate some of the best land-based and online gambling places where people can go to enjoy their favourite casino games.
Gambling law ambiguity across Canada
There are many different gambling laws and regulations in Canada. Canada’s first forms of legal gambling appeared in 1969, in which a variety of landmark casinos were developed. These casinos brought tourism and a steady economy to cities across Canada after years of gambling being illegal.
For the citizens of Ontario, online gaming complements the already thriving gambling scene.
By the early 2000s, online gambling was growing rapidly as more and more households gained access to computers. However, the law states that any casino venue operating in Canada must be licensed by the regional authorities. Since many online gambling providers were operating from another country, this meant that they weren’t bound to the laws set by the Canadian authorities.
This loophole has meant that up until today, Canadian citizens can enjoy gambling at online venues, as long as the provider is offshore. This grey area in the law means that Canada is missing out on a significant economic opportunity as they do not benefit from online gaming taxes or fees from licenses at all. However, for the citizens of Ontario, online gaming complements the already thriving gambling scene.
The best casinos in Ontario
As the most populous province in Canada, Ontario has a thriving gambling scene with some of the nation’s best Casinos. The most popular casinos include:
Shorelines Casino – Thousand Islands
The Shorelines Casino chain has three casinos located in Ontario, however it is their Thousand Islands venue located on the outskirts of Gananoque that is one of the most popular. The venue is home to over 450 slot machines and various gaming tables for visitors to enjoy.
Shorelines casino are well-known for hosting various table games from blackjack, roulette to a variety of poker games including 3-card poker and ultimate Texas Hold’em. Those who want to get in some practice online before trying their luck at the casino can try real money poker at 888 Poker. Players will get a chance to hone in on their strategy and practice their poker face before going up against the big players at Shorelines.
Casino Rama Resort
Located near Orillia, Ontario, Casino Rama Resort is known as one of the region’s best casino resorts. Guests to the resort can benefit from a fully serviced hotel, a spa and health club, and a top-class casino with over 2,200 slot machines and 6 gaming tables.
Best of all, the casino resort is just a 90-minute drive from Toronto, making it an ideal weekend getaway from the city.
Elements Casino – Brantford
Elements casino offers a great variety of popular games, including over 500 slot machines and over 55 table games with Blackjack, Texas Hold’Em Poker and Roulette amongst the offerings.
Sports betting in Ontario
On the 27th of August, single event sports betting became legalized and was officially launched across Canada. Currently, there are 71 casinos in Ontario that now offer sports betting and in addition, Ontario has now made single-game sports betting available online through the Ontario lottery and the gaming Corporation’s PROLINE website.
The gambling scene in Ontario will now be able to thrive as the industry continues to grow
While this is a monumental moment for Ontario’s gambling scene, residents of Ontario are also able to take advantage of the many offshore online casinos available to them. The move to legalize sports betting in Ontario means that several sports betting vendors in the Northern US could now be looking to expand into Ontario, offering even more variety in the region.
The future of gambling in Ontario
The recent easing of restrictions for gambling across Canada means that the gambling scene in Ontario will now be able to thrive as the industry continues to grow. These changes demonstrate the appetite for gambling across the region, in which many northern American influences are moving into the Ontario region. From sports betting vendors to US casino chains, cities like Toronto are becoming even more of a hotspot for betting shops and casinos.
However, online gambling is more popular than ever, meaning that the footfall to physical gambling venues could decrease over time – as can be seen in countries like the UK. As technologies become more affordable, many people are opting for the convenience and freedom that online gambling brings.
Overall, over the past year, there have been many positive changes across Canada that support the growth of the gambling industry. As Canadians views of gambling become more progressive, it will be interesting to see how the market develops and whether physical casinos will stand the test of time.
