Gaming is Largest Entertainment Industry in Canada

Results of new research undertaken as part of the most comprehensive study ever conducted on the economic impact of gaming in Canada released this week reveals that gaming, including poker, is "the country's largest and economically significant entertainment industry" with more than 267,000 full-time jobs and more than CAD $11.6 billion in salaries, wages and other income supporting the gaming industry.

"Gaming has grown significantly over the past decade to become an essential pillar of the entertainment industry in Canada," said Mr. Rutsey, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), which represents gaming industry's leading operators, manufacturers, suppliers and other stakeholders nation-wide.

The report is important because it "marks the first time that detailed analyses of the employment and economic impact of the Canadian gaming industry have been broken out by province."

Ontario leads the pack with 102,236 jobs created and sustained by the industry, followed by Quebec (51,636), Alberta (43,342) and British Columbia (32,246).

The report is also noteworthy because "it is also the first time that researchers and policy makers have been able to obtain accurate jobs data generated and validated by rigorous Statistics Canada modeling."

"The breadth and depth of the industry is significant," said the study's author Robert Scarpelli, Managing Director of HLT Advisory. "We've always known that employment in gaming operations was robust, but the total impact of the industry surprised us. After validating the results with the Statistics Canada's Input-Output Model, we now, for the first time, have a picture of the industry's full impact right across the country."

The industry group's latest report is based on 2006 data and reveals that out of gambling's CAD $15.3 billion revenue directly contributed to the economy:

The report also found that the Canadian gaming industry:

For more information visit www.canadiangaming.ca or for information on the study contact Paul Burns, Vice President, Public Affairs at pburns@canadiangaming.ca.

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