Investment

From casino to sports: Canada’s gambling journey

Published

3 years ago

October 20, 2021

Gambling was originally present in Canada amongst native people, quickly becoming cemented into the cultural history of the country. The earliest recognised game that involved a fairly primitive form of gambling – although not with money – was Slahal. This was a traditional stick game, using two different kinds of sticks that were split between the two teams, as well as ten scoring sticks. The sticks were exchanged in the place of currency, with the team with the most scoring sticks ending as the winner. What’s more, Slahal is still alive today and features regularly in traditional festivals across the country, for example, at Vancouver’s Summer Live festival.

Card games have remained the most popular forms of gambling, whether it’s Poker or Blackjack. During the Klondike Gold Rush, the game of Faro had a big boom in North America, but left Canada when the gold rush subsided, although arguably the love for card games remained.

Read on as we talk regulations, the move online and beyond.

Regulations

The Canadian Criminal Code was enacted in 1892, dictating laws and deciding what kind of behaviours would be permitted across the country. In terms of gambling, the Code tolerates it, but only under certain conditions. An amendment was made in 1910 that allowed occasional games of chance where the profits would be used for charitable events and activities. As well as this, games were also sometimes permitted at agricultural fairs and exhibitions.

These laws around gambling remained relatively unchanged until the 1970s, where it was decided that individual provinces would have the authority to license and regulate gambling for themselves.

In particular, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta have created their own corporations and commissions to regulate casino gameplay. The latter operates as the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) commission, working to regulate the selling and consumption of alcoholic beverages, recreational cannabis use, and gambling. The policies and rules that the AGLC put in place went on to maintain the fairness and security of all gambling activities, whilst also working to maximise the financial return and potential benefits of gaming.

Going online

The AGLC have taken things one step further, and even gone on to create their very own regulated online casino. The site was developed in 2020 and is called Play Alberta, in which all money that’s made by the site is then funnelled back into the community via Alberta’s General Revenue Fund.

This way of regulating casino gaming helps keep the pastime safe and fair – but how? Well, this site in particular works alongside GameSense to keep all players well-informed before placing their bets, and within their set budget.

Sports betting

As well as casino gaming, Play Alberta has also begun to offer sports betting, which has arguably become equally as popular amongst Canadian gamers. This has been a long journey for the nation, with the federal government only granting provinces the right to legalise single-game wagering in 2021.

The province of Ontario has had a long history of pushing for sports betting to come into fruition, so they are expected to be the first to incorporate sports into the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) gaming laws.

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With the annual betting habits of Canadians already estimated to surpass a value of US$10 billion – you can only imagine how the industry will grow with singular sports betting also entering the market! What sports will you be looking to bet on first?

Economy

S&P/TSX composite down more than 200 points, U.S. stock markets also fall

Published

7 days ago

September 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.

The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

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Economy

S&P/TSX composite up more than 150 points, U.S. stock markets also higher

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.

The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.

The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

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Investment

Crypto Market Bloodbath Amid Broader Economic Concerns

Published

1 month ago

August 5, 2024

Harry Miller

The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.

The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.

Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.

The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.

Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.

Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.

Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.

Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.

The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.