Over time, the Canadian gambling industry has made a significant transition. It originally began as a game with animal bones hundreds of years ago but has now developed into a huge selection of online casinos in Canada. Today, players can even start playing for real money at a Canadian casino with just a $1 deposit. Some platforms offer no wagering or accept cryptocurrency payments.
Gambling activities have grown to be worth billions of dollars in the history of gambling in Canada. These casinos compete with one another to win over new customers, but how did this sector become such a sizable market with a wide range of products? A team of experts from LeafletCasino, who work on reviewing trusted online casinos, have looked at Canada’s gambling activities and researched the history of casinos in Canada.
The First Forms of Gambling
Gambling in Canada is certainly getting popular and becoming more accessible to the country’s people. Today, Canadians who are 19 or over can enjoy themselves in a land-based casino and even sign up at the best online casino sites in Canada. Newbies or pro players usually look for the best paying casino online which they can find thanks to the reviews. Over a while, gambling in Canada has transformed from an activity tolerated only with strict rules to a widely accepted leisure. The history of the Great North’s casinos is noted in this article.
Slahal
Before internet casinos existed, games of chance were played at certain smaller, unofficial gatherings. The earliest evidence of this type of gambling in Canada reaches back thousands of years, although we cannot specify when people started playing.
Slahal, a historical game being played today, was invented by indigenous people to be done using bones from deer or other animals to beat each other up. It was the first form of gambling in Canada. You can search for the first casino in the world here. It had various components, including a chance to earn money and characteristics that make it a family activity and sacred ceremony.
The 1330s – The Ban of Dice Games
John Cabot claimed Canadian territory for England in 1497. Gambling was ruled illegal in Canada because it was officially under British rule. As a result, the earliest gambling laws in the country date back to 1338, when Richard III prohibited many types of dice games in England because he believed it was a distraction and a waste of time for his soldiers. In 1999, the ban on dice was lifted in Canada. This story was breaking news at that time.
Playing Cards Among Native Tribes in 1497
Card games became prevalent until paper was invented about 2,000 years ago in China. Therefore, it is possible that the first people who played with a deck of cards were Chinese and Korean. However, it is uncertain when exactly this knowledge was transmitted to Canada.
A definite moment in Canadian gambling history was in 1497 when John Cabot landed on the country’s East Coast, and he discovered that native tribes enjoyed playing card games. Of course, they were very primitive and not comparable with what we are used to today, but this discovery is considered the start of real gambling in Canada.
First Horse Racing Event in 1767
On July 1st, 1767, a big horse race in Quebec City’s Plains of Abraham witnessed the first official gambling event. The mare Modesty, ridden by Captain Prescott, won the first horse racing contest. Her victory earned her $40 in total. In 1910, Pari-mutuel Betting and Occasional Games were authorized.
In 1892, the Canadian Criminal Code permitted all types of gambling activities with a few restrictions still governed by English common law. Pari-mutuel wagering became legitimate in 1910. It means “to wager amongst ourselves” and refers to a betting technique in which all bets are gathered into a pool. The next widespread form of gambling gained popularity during the Klondike gold rush in the late 19th century. By that time, card games, in general, were pretty widespread.
Wagering at racetracks was used in racing. The 1910 amendment also allowed occasional gambling proceeds for charitable and religious causes. Most gambling regulations were modified frequently over time, but until 1970, they were largely unaltered in Canadian casinos.
The Beginning of the Multibillion-dollar Industry
The multi-billion-dollar business has been made possible by the modifications to the law made in 1970. Due to this legitimate reformation, provinces now have the authority to enact their gaming regulations. Some gaming trends have developed since then. In 1985, Canadian sports betting was legalized, but not single-game wagering.
The first commercial land-based casino in Canada opened in Winnipeg in 1989. In 1993, a second casino opened in Montréal. A few years later, numerous Canadian casinos were opened in other regions.
Currently, commercial casinos can be found in Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan. A few governments have installed Video Lottery Terminals in their respective provinces, bringing in millions of dollars annually. Playing online has been made available everywhere. Single-game sports betting was made legal in Canada in August 2021. It was reported that at least 19.3 million Canadians would bet regularly in 2020, generating $2.66 billion in revenue.
Conclusion
As a result of all the previous forms, the history of online gambling started in 1996. Even though the first official digital gaming site only included a few online casino games, it was nonetheless a hit. Several online casinos opened this year, which is the beginning of online gambling. InterCasino was one of the first and most well-known casinos and is still in operation.
The Mohawk Territory Kahnawake Gaming Commission was already in place to oversee and control all traditional casino game operations. Many Canadian gamblers thought online gaming was unusual. Of course, all of these feelings were present with the other gambling forms in the past. But the progress always brings new beginnings, and the history of casinos proves it.