Study reveals support for Canadian gaming industry
The overwhelming majority of Canadians see gaming as a fun and acceptable form of entertainment. Those who play are mostly responsible gamblers who stick to a fixed budget. Few Canadians are aware that Canada invests more money per capita on responsible gaming research and treatment than other countries. The CGA says industry needs to do more to educate the public about its contribution to government programs, charities and world-leading responsible gaming efforts.
VANCOUVER, BC, April 26 2006— In a recent poll of Canadian attitudes toward gaming, the overwhelming majority of Canadians see gaming as a fun, responsible and acceptable form of entertainment. The poll, conducted by PMG Consulting of Waterloo, Ontario, also found that Canadians are responsible gamers who self-regulate their spending and consistently play with a pre-determined limit. The poll’s findings were released at the plenary session of the 10th annual Canadian Gaming Summit in Vancouver.
The research also revealed that there are misconceptions about gaming in Canada, in particular with respect to responsible gaming and the perception by Canadians that more needs to be done to address problem gambling. Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO, Bill Rutsey, said the research points to a lack of public knowledge of the significant efforts already being undertaken by the industry to ensure responsible gaming.
“The PMG poll highlights that few Canadians are aware that the Canadian gaming industry contributes $7 billion to governments and charities and invests about $75 million annually on responsible gaming research and treatment – more per capita than any other country,” Mr. Rutsey added. “As an industry, we need to do more to educate the public about the extensive efforts being undertaken by our members, to help Canadians to better understand the full scope of our efforts.”
According to Mr. Rutsey, some of the ways the industry can overcome these misconceptions include educating the public about how revenues are invested, and demonstrating to communities with gaming sites the significant economic and social contributions made by the industry to local businesses and municipalities.
The Canadian gaming industry generates $14 billion in revenues a year and directly supports more than 50,000 jobs in Canada, including 8,500 jobs in British Columbia. The preliminary results of the PMG poll are part of the gaming industry’s long-term approach to surveying the attitudes of Canadians towards gaming, and form part of its ongoing research.
The Canadian Gaming Association (www.canadiangaming.ca), formed in March 2005 and headquartered in Toronto, represents Canada’s leading gaming operators and suppliers. The CGA speaks to issues of national and regional importance as the voice of the industry, with a mandate to foster a balanced understanding of gaming by bringing facts about the industry to the general public, elected officials, other decision makers and the media.
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For further information contact:
Alex Pannu, NATIONAL Public Relations 604.691.7388
Jessica Bowker, NATIONAL Public Relations 604.691.7383
Paul Burns, Canadian Gaming Association 416.579.3922