“The launch of the iGaming market in Ontario has been a resounding success, both bringing new business and breathing new life into the gambling landscape in the province, while also encouraging existing players – like casinos and OLG – to innovate and adapt. While other provinces are still hesitant to follow suit for myriad reasons, the addition of commercial sportsbooks has been nothing but a boon to Ontario’s gaming market.”
– Michael Lloy, Senior Tech & Media Analyst
Key issues covered in this Report
- What have consumers gambled on? How often have they gambled?
- What motivations and barriers to gambling do consumers experience?
- Where have consumers seen sportsbook ads since the launch of the iGaming market?
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Consumer trends
- Consumers playing free-to-play gambling video games are an excellent niche for brands to target
- Figure 1: Participation in betting, “I play gambling-style video games without betting money” (% any agree) vs overall, 2022
- Sports gambling frequency has increased over the past twelve months
- Figure 2: Sports gambling frequency, 2023 vs 2022
- Consumers are sick of seeing sports gambling ads
- Figure 3: Sports betting advertising attitudes, 2022
- Competitive strategies
- Traditional casinos are embracing online gambling
- Figure 4: Fallsview Social Instagram post, November 2022
- Challenges face other provinces hoping to follow Ontario
- Sportsbooks leverage start power to build their brands in the iGaming market
- Figure 5: Jamie Foxx Instagram Post, February 2021
- Market Predictions
- While Canadians have been severely impacted by rising prices, CPI deceleration makes the future look promising
- Inflation poised to drain the purchasing power of Canadian households
- The iGaming market has resulted in massive growth for Ontario’s gaming industry
- The launch of the iGaming market initiates massive growth in the Canadian gaming industry
- Figure 6: Category outlook, gambling, 2023-28
- Opportunities
- Casinos and sportsbooks need to work on reaching and converting non-betters
- Brands can leverage AI to put the power back into users’ hands
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The Market – By the Numbers
- The launch of the iGaming Market in Ontario has been explosive
- Figure 7: iGaming fiscal results, Q1 – Q3, 2022
- The launch of the iGaming Market in Ontario has been explosive
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Market Factors
- February 2023 sees massive inflation deceleration
- While Canadians have been severely impacted by rising prices, CPI deceleration makes the future look promising
- Figure 8: Canadian Consumer Price Index, 2020-23
- Household savings have risen slightly from a 5% plateau
- Figure 9: Canadian household savings rate, Q1 2019-Q4, 2022
- Canada’s aging population will likely put pressure on younger Canadians
- Figure 10: Canadian population age projections, yearly, 2000-40
- Diversity among future generations is projected to increase
- Figure 11: Proportion of visible minority in Canada, 1981-2040
- February 2023 sees massive inflation deceleration
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Competitive Strategies
- Land-based casinos adopt online gaming instead of fighting against it
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- Figure 12: Fallsview Casino Social Instagram post, 2022
- Challenges face other provinces hoping to follow Ontario
- Sportsbooks are using star power to make a splash
- Figure 13: Jamie Foxx Instagram Post, 2021
- The growing role of AI and emerging technologies in commercial sports betting
- Figure 14: Lucky Block Instagram Post, 2023
- Land-based casinos adopt online gaming instead of fighting against it
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Fast Facts: Gambling
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Gambling Participation
- Just over two thirds of Canadian consumers have participated in some form of gambling
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- Figure 15: Participation in betting, 2022
- Men are more likely to have engaged in most forms of betting, but opportunities exist to get women involved
- Figure 16: Participation in betting, men vs women, 2022
- Age plays a significant part in how consumers have engaged with gambling
- Figure 17: Participation in casino-style gambling, by age, 2022
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- Figure 18: Participation in sports betting, by age, 2022
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- Figure 19: Other gambling/betting participation, by age, 2022
- Asian Canadians betting history showcases vastly different gambling habits
- Figure 20: Participation in betting (select), Chinese and South Asian consumers vs overall, 2022
- There is an opportunity to convert free-to-play gambling video game players to betters
- Figure 21: Participation in betting, “I play gambling-style video games without betting money” (% any agree) vs overall, 2022
- Mirroring the gambling population, the vast majority of free gambling video-gamers are men under the age of 54
- Figure 22: “I play gambling-style video games without betting money” (% any agree), by age and gender, 2022
- Just over two thirds of Canadian consumers have participated in some form of gambling
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Gambling Frequency
- Half of gamblers place bets at least several times per month
- Figure 23: Betting frequency, 2022
- Men are more avid betters than women
- Figure 24: Betting frequency, men vs women, 2022
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- Figure 25: Gamble daily, by age and gender, 2022
- Frequent betting can engender higher brand loyalty
- Figure 26: Gambling loyalty, men vs women, 2022
- Men aged 35-44 have the highest brand loyalty to frequently-used casinos and sportsbooks
- Figure 27: Gambling loyalty (% any agree), by age and gender, 2022
- Half of gamblers place bets at least several times per month
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Gambling Motivations
- Aside from winning money, consumers enjoy the experience and social aspects of gambling
- Figure 28: Reasons for gambling, 2022
- Men are significantly more likely to enjoy the intricacies of gambling while spending their free time and money on betting
- Figure 29: Reasons for gambling, men vs women, 2022
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- Figure 30: Fallsview Casino Facebook post, 2022
- Social gambling is a significant motivator for younger women
- Figure 31: Social gambling, by age and gender, 2022
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- Figure 32: Fallsview Casino Facebook post, 2022
- Younger consumers are more open to trying something new
- Figure 33: “I want to try something new” as a reason for gambling, by age, 2022
- Gambling incentives are important to a large niche of consumers
- Figure 34: Gambling incentive attitudes, 2022
- Aside from winning money, consumers enjoy the experience and social aspects of gambling
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Gambling Barriers
- Both a lack of interest and fear of losing money are keeping consumers away from betting
- Figure 35: Reasons for not gambling, 2022
- Lack of interest among older consumers is a large barrier for gamblers and sportsbooks
- Figure 36: Uninterested in gambling, by age, 2022
- Younger consumers were significantly more likely to feel that casino games were unfair
- Figure 37: Casino games are rigged, by age, 2022
- The morality and ethics of gambling are a concern for many Canadians
- Figure 38: Attitudes around the morality and ethics of gambling, 2022
- Frequent gamblers are significantly more concerned about the ethics of their hobby
- Figure 39: “I have concerns about the morality and ethics of gambling” (% any agree), by age and gender, 2022
- Women typically have stronger feelings about animal racing than men
- Figure 40: “I believe racing animals is animal cruelty” (% any agree), by age and gender, 2022
- Religion may play a part in associations of immorality and gambling, but changing generational mores may provide an opportunity for betting brands
- Both a lack of interest and fear of losing money are keeping consumers away from betting
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Sports Betting: One Year Later
- Daily sports betting has increased significantly
- Figure 41: Sports betting frequency, 2023 vs 2022
- Men are driving frequent sports betting, with men aged 35-44 driving daily bets
- Figure 42: Sports betting frequency, by gender
- Consumers are betting on a wider variety of sports in 2023
- Figure 43: Sports bet on in the past 12 months, 2023 vs 2022
- Younger consumers are driving basketball and soccer betting
- Figure 44: Sports bet on in the past 12 months, by age, 2022
- Consumers are planning to gamble, and sportsbooks need to help them execute on those plans
- Figure 45: Sports planned to bet on in the next 12 months, 2022
- Younger men are driving plans to gamble over the next twelve months
- Figure 46: Sports planned to bet on in the next 12 months, men by age, 2022
- Despite changing demographics, staple sports remain staples
- Figure 47: Sports planned to bet on in the next 12 months, by race, 2022
- Knowledge of sports betting terms and lingo remains low
- Figure 48: “I am familiar with most sports betting terms”, 2023 vs 2022
- Daily sports betting has increased significantly
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Sports Betting: Ads and Attitudes
- Nearly two thirds of Canadians have experienced a sports betting ad over the past nine months
- Figure 49: Sports gambling ads experienced in the past 9 months, 2022
- Men were significantly more likely to have experienced every type of sports gambling ad
- Figure 50: Sports gambling ads experienced in the past 9 months, men vs women, 2022
- Age plays an important role in which ads are being experienced
- Figure 51: Sports gambling ads experienced in the past 9 months, by age, 2022
- Celebrity faces aren’t making consumers want to see more sportsbook ads…
- Figure 52: Sports betting advertising attitudes, 2022
- Still, among frequent betters the ads seem to be working
- Figure 53: Sports betting advertising attitudes, by those who bet on sports at least once per week, 2022
- Nearly two thirds of Canadians have experienced a sports betting ad over the past nine months
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Data sources
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