Gambling and Problem Gambling in Canada in 2018: Prevalence and Changes Since 2002

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide an updated profile of gambling and problem gambling in Canada and to examine how the rates and pattern of participation compare to 2002. Method: An assessment of gambling and problem gambling was included in the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey and administered to 24,982 individuals aged 15 and older. The present analyses selected for adults (18+). Results: A total of 66.2% of people reported engaging in some type of gambling in 2018, primarily lottery and/or raffle tickets, the only type in which the majority of Canadians participate. There are some significant interprovincial differences, with perhaps the most important one being the higher rate of electronic gambling machine (EGM) participation in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The overall pattern of gambling in 2018 is very similar to 2002, although participation is generally much lower in 2018, particularly for EGMs and bingo. Only 0.6% of the population were identified as problem gamblers in 2018, with an additional 2.7% being at-risk gamblers. There is no significant interprovincial variation in problem gambling rates. The interprovincial pattern of problem gambling in 2018 is also very similar to what was found in 2002 with the main difference being a 45% decrease in the overall prevalence of problem gambling. Conclusions: Gambling and problem gambling have both decreased in Canada from 2002 to 2018 although the provincial patterns are quite similar between the 2 time periods. Several mechanisms have likely collectively contributed to these declines. Decreases have also been reported in several other Western countries in recent years and have occurred despite the expansion of legal gambling opportunities, suggesting a degree of inoculation or adaptation in the population.

Phenotype of Gambling Disorder Patients with Lotteries as a Preferred Form of Gambling

“…In Spain, lottery is one of the most traditional game mode with a relevant presence in the general population and within the clinical settings specialized in the treatment of behavioral addictions (Clotas et al, 2020). The prevalence rate in our work is consistent with other studies carried out in different countries, which have also reported a high percentage of people engaging in lottery and/or raffle tickets as their favorite gambling activity (Bhatia et al, 2019;Valleur, 2015;Williams et al, 2021). But it should be highlighted that the rates of gambling behavior/s worldwide evidence large variations across and within settings (Calado & Griffiths, 2016), and other studies have identified lottery gambling in a low proportion of treatment-seeking patients compared to alternative gambling forms (Ariyabuddhiphongs, 2011).…”

The effect of gambling problems on the subjective wellbeing of gamblers’ family and friends: Evidence from large-scale population research in Australia and Canada

“…Australia and Canada provide a useful point of comparison. They have similar socioeconomic and cultural characteristics, as well as similarities in policy frameworks (such as transitioning to public health policy models [ Productivity Commission, 2010 ]), and gambling behaviours, including problem gambling prevalence rates ( Armstrong & Carroll, 2017 ; Williams et al, 2021 ). However, they have different regulatory approaches to gambling and areas of research focus, as detailed in Baxter, Hilbrecht, and Wheaton (2019) .…”

A Comparative Profile of Online, Offline, and Mixed-Mode Problematic Gamblers’ Gambling Involvement, Motives, and HEXACO Personality Traits

“…Over the last two decades, the number of people who gamble on the Internet has risen considerably. For example, in Canada, the prevalence of online gambling increased from 1.0 to 6.4% between 2002 and 2018 (Williams et al, 2021 ). In Australia, the prevalence of online gambling increased from 8.1 to 17.5% between 2010 and 2019 (Hing et al, 2021 as cited in Hing et al, 2022 ), and in Spain, overall online gambling expenditure quadrupled from 2.72 billion euros to 10.89 euros between 2012 and 2016 (Chóliz et al, 2021 ).…”