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What springs to mind when you think of gambling tourism? Typically, destinations such as Las Vegas and Macau dominate the debate because they have invested years of time and effort, not to mention billions of dollars, into developing welcoming environments for people who like to gamble.
Canada doesn’t feature highly on the mental list, not least as it hasn’t plowed the same resources into the industry. However, as it becomes clear that gambling will open up new revenues for the economy, there are signs that the Great White North might be opening up to tourists with fat wads of cash. Could the nation be a successful betting destination? Let’s take a look.
Behavior & Attitudes
Both of these are vital in understanding why more gambling tourism will be commonplace in Canada in the future. After all, if the beliefs of locals are still the same, the demand would be lower. However, https://cwf.ca/ points out that this definitely isn’t the case as Canadians have embraced the sector.
For example, the first lotteries were introduced in 1970. By 2000, there were more than 50 permanent casinos, 21,000 slot machines, 20,000 bingo events, and 44 horse race tracks in the country. That was 21 years ago, and the growth hasn’t slowed down since. Today, there are 88 land-based establishments, leading https://canadiangaming.ca/ to report that Canadians are wagering as much as $14 billion a year.
It shouldn’t be surprising that tweaks are in the pipeline to build on this popularity. Not only are casino sites being proposed throughout the states, but a move to an American-based view of sports betting is being pushed through.
The Windsor Effect
At the moment, it’s worth noting that traditional casinos don’t act as tourist attractions. According to an article in https://journals.sagepub.com/, the conventional logic that they do is wrong, and this is the case in Canada. Still, this doesn’t mean the introduction of new casinos won’t have the desired impact.
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The same journal post also mentions how Caesars Windsor in Ontario is a shining example to other establishments. This is because it is one land-based casino that manages to class itself as a major attraction for visitors.
Therefore, the new institutions that are set to arrive in Canada could easily change the mold if they follow the example of the Caesars Windsor.
Online Gambling
Online gambling might appear as if it takes away from gambling tourism, but the opposite is true because it provides guests with different options that they can exploit. A hotel guest, for example, might prefer to play from the comfort of their room or the lobby, rather than on packed floors surrounded by experts and professionals.
As a result, the health of the online wagering market in Canada will be a huge boost to the gambling traveling trade as arrivals will have flexibility and versatility. This is highlighted by the number of bonuses available to Canadian players and anybody in Canada on Bonus Finder. This post on https://bonus.ca/ also points out that there is now no shortage of excellent gambling websites in Canada, with platforms providing the latest in offers, customer support, and localization (users can play with Canadian dollars).
The supplemental element of Canadian gambling should only dovetail perfectly with the travel and tourism sectors, particularly as it is already cemented within society.
Yes, gambling traveling in Canada can take off, and it appears as if it won’t be long before it happens. Hopefully, it only makes Canada a more popular destination and strengthens the nation’s economy.