The Games Market in Canada is Anticipated to Reach 21.6 Million Users by 2030
The current population of Canada is approximately 41.29 million. In the next five years, industry experts are predicting that just over half of that figure will be regularly enjoying games either on their mobile devices or purpose built consoles.
It’s a prediction that raises more than a few questions, chiefly: What is the current size of the Canadian gaming market? Is 21.6 million users a realistic prediction? If so, how will that figure be achieved?
For the answers to those questions and more, read on…
Gaming Redefined
PC, PlayStation and Xbox are the things that spring to mind when the word ‘gaming’ is mentioned, but the industry is so much more than that. It encompasses mobile gaming as well as casino gambling, in particular the online variety.
The weary millennial still getting his fill of Grand Theft Auto, the retired teacher levelling up on Candy Crush and the seasoned card shark playing at casinos are all included in the gaming figures.
Taking into account all of those gamers, the current estimated user base in Canada stands at a staggering 19.8 million. Which somewhat takes the shine off that bold prediction by industry experts…
Impressive Growth in Context
Whilst a rise in gaming users of 1.8 million over 5 years might not seem like a lot, it is still an impressive growth figure of just under 10%. What makes that figure even more impressive is the fact that the adult population of Canada currently stands at just 26 million.
In 2030, that is predicted to rise to 27 million, meaning that by then, around 80% of Canadian adults will regularly game. That is a staggeringly high amount of the adult population and is a percentage that absolutely dwarfs other countries.
In the United States for example, only 58% of adults regularly game. Across the pond in the United Kingdom the figure is slightly higher at 68%, but is still lagging behind Canada.
Why Canadians Love Gaming
There is somewhat of a perfect storm when it comes to Canada and gaming. Demographics play in a role in expanding the number of people in the country who enjoy the pastime. As does the weather, with cold conditions meaning that Canadians tend to spend more time indoors than those in other countries.
Then of course there are budgets and lifestyles. Smartphones, gaming consoles and regular wagers on slot machines are expensive. The level of disposable income that most Canadians have access to tends to be higher than the disposable income of gamers in other countries.
What is Driving Canadian Gaming?
Console gaming has been strong in Canada since the turn of the millennium and shows no signs of slowing down. In recent years what has been driving growth more than anything though has been the rise of mobile gaming.
This is a trend that is mirrored in many other parts of the globe. Mobile devices have made gaming more accessible than ever before, cheaper and open to more demographics, in particular females. It’s this accessibility and incorporation of women – a sadly novel concept in gaming – that is really driving the growth of the industry globally.
What Will Drive Canadian Gaming in 2030?
Next year the government is due to release legislation that will lead to an almost widespread legalisation of online gambling in Canada. If people want to wager online right now in the country, they can of course look to state run sites or take the option of playing with overseas operators.
According to the iGaming experts from Casino.ca, from 2026, the number of fast withdrawal casinos in Canada will continue to grow, and players will have a huge range of domestic providers to choose from. So that by the time 2030 comes around, Canadian blackjack, poker and roulette fans will have a huge selection of online casinos to play with.
This, it is predicted will account for the majority of the rise in the gaming market during that period. In our opinion however, growth of just under 9% seems rather conservative. In other countries where online gambling was legalised, the growth figures were truly phenomenal.
Don’t be surprised then, to check back in five years and find that the number of Canadian gaming users has risen to say 23 or 24 million.
