New Research Shows How COVID-19 Changed Canadian Gambling Industry

New research by CasinosHunter.com, an independent online casino reviewing platform for gamblers, has revealed the new challenges that have emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the possibilities now available to the Canadian gamblers.

Gambling is hugely popular in Canada. Data indicates that 60% of locals participate in gambling on a regular basis, spending on average $100 per month on games. Overall, the industry generates significant income – $31 billion to be exact – paying up to 15% in taxes. However, the pandemic has changed this significantly.

Land-based gambling houses had to meet new requirements in order to stay open or close their business altogether. Research by Casinos Hunter explains what new rules casinos now have to adhere to if they would like to open.

On the other hand, those gamblers who decided to give preference to online casinos for the sake of staying at home face problems as well, and new studies already show the impact of the lockdown in combination with gambling habits. The problems include increased compulsive gambling, anxiety, and substance abuse.

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Canada is attempting to manage a whole new wave of the mental health issues its citizens face as a result of the lockdown. Online gambling goes hand in hand with these issues, being both a means of distraction from anxiety and a way to aggravate the already existing mental health issues. People’s patterns of gambling have changed as a result of the lockdown, so both industries – the public health service and the gambling industry – are only beginning to get insights into the new realities.