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Understanding the Canadian Gaming Market

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Gaming in Canada is big business with the industry producing significant revenue for the national economy. At the end of 2019, figures showed that the gaming sector returned $3.6 billion dollars in gross income and those numbers represented a 15% increase from the preceding twelve months.

Gaming is a very resilient business and there’s every reason to expect further rises in 2020 and beyond. It’s grown at a steady pace and, while some still feel that it’s a pastime for the young, there are titles out there that are set up to suit all ages. Here are some more details relating to playing habits and the type of games being enjoyed by players right across Canada.

 

Growing Community

A report carried out in 2018 showed that 61% of Canadians considered themselves to be a ‘gamer’. Those numbers cover a big age range and naturally, there is a diverse set of tastes within that significant percentage.

The same report indicated that Canadians spoke on Twitter about their gaming habits and that allowed for extensive research into titles that stood out. In fact, Canada ranked as the eighth highest nation in terms of gaming content so what are locals enjoying?

 

Popular Choices

The ‘Twitterverse’ confirmed that some of the most popular titles stood out with Fortnite right at the top of the tree. Others that may well sound familiar to regular, or even casual gamers include League of Legends, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

 

Those are popular global titles, but those figures might suggest that Canadians prefer a longer-form game that tells a story rather than a quick ‘shoot em up’ battle that contains little narrative. There are many titles that fall into this category so there’s certainly plenty of choice but whatever players’ preference might be, the gaming industry certainly has it covered.

Along with Star Wars, Canadians can play games that are linked to popular TV or movie titles. Sport is a big theme too with football, golf, soccer and tennis among the action and strategy games currently on the shelves.

 

Play to win

Canadians like to challenge themselves when it comes to games of strategy as we’ve seen. The thrill of competitive gaming and the chance to overcome friends and family is an obvious quest but many others like to aim for rewards that are more tangible.

 

The online gambling sector in Canada is heavily regulated but it does bring in revenue in excess of $30 billion each year. The figures include casino, sports betting, lottery and bingo so clearly, many Canadians like to include this as part of their overall approach to gaming.

With strict regulations applied by the government, not every global operator is involved in Canada but brands such as casino 888 recognise Canada’s love for online gambling and they have acted accordingly to help meet their customer needs.

Canada’s online gambling market holds a large market share of the gaming market within the country

 

Freedom and Flexibility

One of the reasons why gaming has continued its steady rise is the fact that the industry is developing all the time. New technology keeps being introduced to enhance the gameplay experience, so the sector is never complacent.

Handheld consoles were an obvious improvement that came along some years ago while the progression to ‘wands’ that replicate tennis rackets and golf clubs boosted the interest in sports-themed titles. The ability to play ‘on the go’ is a big driver in terms of new players and increased game time. Thanks to that developing technology, it’s never been easier to log in to a mobile phone, tap on an app and take a few plays of your favorite title.

All those introductions have helped to increase gaming revenue in Canada but where does the gaming industry go from here?

What’s Next?

Virtual Reality is often cited as the next ‘big thing’ in video gaming but the technology is already here. VR is being enjoyed by a growing number of gamers, but it hasn’t quite spread to the wider community. Issues with cost and the lack of flexibility that mobile phone gaming offer may be behind that trend, but it’s expected that VR will continue to grow in the years ahead.

Advancements in artificial intelligence could also come into greater effect. This is a factor already seen in the casino industry where suggested titles are offered up to players but it’s another area that’s been slower to take off.

An increase in payment options for in-play purchases could also aid the sector’s growth and those are expected to come in steadily in the next few years.

What is certain is that the gaming industry will continue to innovate, and that creativity is partly behind its success. Gaming brings in multiple billions of dollars to the Canadian economy, but those numbers should continue to rise in the future.

 

 

Published By Harry Miller

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DeMar DeRozan scores 27 points to lead the Kings past the Raptors 122-107

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points in a record-setting performance and the Sacramento Kings beat the Toronto Raptors 122-107 on Wednesday night.

Domantas Sabonis added 17 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season for Sacramento. He shot 6 for 6 from the field and 5 for 5 at the free-throw line.

Keegan Murray chipped in with 22 points and 12 rebounds, and De’Aaron Fox scored 21.

The 35-year-old DeRozan has scored at least 20 points in each of his first eight games with the Kings, breaking a franchise mark established by Chris Webber when he reached 20 in his first seven games with Sacramento in 1999.

DeRozan spent the past three seasons with the Chicago Bulls. The six-time All-Star also has played for Toronto and San Antonio during his 16-year NBA career.

RJ Barrett had 23 points to lead the Raptors. Davion Mitchell scored 20 in his first game in Sacramento since being traded to Toronto last summer.

Takeaways

Raptors: Toronto led for most of the first three quarters before wilting in the fourth. The Raptors were outscored 33-14 in the final period.

Kings: Fox played strong defense but struggled again shooting from the floor as he is dealing with a finger injury. Fox went 5 for 17 and just 2 of 8 on 3-pointers. He is 5 for 25 from beyond the arc in his last three games.

Key moment

The Kings trailed 95-89 early in the fourth before going on a 9-0 run that gave them the lead for good. DeRozan started the spurt with a jumper, and Malik Monk scored the final seven points.

Key stat

Sabonis had the eighth game in the NBA since at least 1982-83 with a triple-double while missing no shots from the field or foul line. The previous player to do it was Josh Giddey for Oklahoma City against Portland on Jan. 11.

Up next

Raptors: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night, the third stop on a five-game trip.

Kings: Host the Clippers on Friday night.

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Whitecaps take confidence, humility into decisive playoff matchup vs. LAFC

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VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps are one win away from moving on to the next round of the Major League Soccer playoffs.

To get there, however, the Whitecaps will need to pull off the improbable by defeating the powerhouse Los Angeles FC for a second straight game.

Vancouver blanked the visitors 3-0 on Sunday to level their best-of-three first-round playoff series at a game apiece. As the matchup shifts back to California for a decisive Game 3 on Friday, the Whitecaps are looking for a repeat performance, said striker Brian White.

“We take the good and the bad from last game, learn from what we could have done better and go to LAFC with confidence and, obviously, with a whole lot of respect,” he said.

“We know that we can go there and give them a very good fight and hopefully come away with a win.”

The winner of Friday’s game will face the No. 4-seed Seattle Sounders in a one-game Western Conference semifinal on Nov. 23 or 24.

The ‘Caps finished the regular season eighth in the west with a 13-13-8 record and have since surprised many with their post-season play.

First, Vancouver trounced its regional rivals, the Portland Timbers, 5-0 in a wild-card game. Then, the squad dropped a tightly contested 2-1 decision to the top-seeded L.A. before posting a decisive home victory on Sunday.

Vancouver has scored seven goals this post-season, second only to the L.A. Galaxy (nine). Vancouver also leads the league in expected goals (6.84) through the playoffs.

No one outside of the club expected the Whitecaps to win when the Vancouver-L. A. series began, said defender Ranko Veselinovic.

“We’ve shown to ourselves that we can compete with them,” he said.

Now in his fifth season with the ‘Caps, Veselinovic said Friday’s game will be the biggest he’s played for the team.

“We haven’t had much success in the playoffs so, definitely, this is the one that can put our season on another level,” he said.

This is the second year in a row the Whitecaps have faced LAFC in the first round of the playoffs and last year, Vancouver was ousted in two straight games.

The team isn’t thinking about revenge as it prepares for Game 3, White said.

“More importantly than (beating LAFC), we want to get to the next round,” he said. “LAFC’s a very good team. We’ve come up against them a number of times in different competitions and they always seem to get the better of us. So it’d be huge for us to get the better of them this time.”

Earning a win last weekend required slowing L.A.’s transition game and limiting offensive opportunities for the team’s big stars, including Denis Bouanga.

Those factors will be important again on Friday, said Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini, who warned that his team could face a different style of game.

“I think the most important thing is going to be to match their intensity at the beginning of the game,” he said. “Because I think they’re going to come at us a million miles per hour.”

The ‘Caps will once again look to captain Ryan Gauld for some offensive firepower. The Scottish attacking midfielder leads MLS in playoff goals with five and has scored in all three of Vancouver’s post-season appearances this year.

Gearing up for another do-or-die matchup is exciting, Gauld said.

“Knowing it’s a winner-takes-all kind of game, being in that kind of environment is nice,” he said. “It’s when you see the best in players.”

LAFC faces the bulk of the pressure heading into the matchup, Sartini said, given the club’s appearances in the last two MLS Cup finals and its 2022 championship title.

“They’re supposed to win and we are not,” the coach said. “But it’s beautiful to have a little bit of pressure on us, too.”

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

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PWHL unveils game jerseys with new team names, logos

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TORONTO – The Professional Women’s Hockey League has revealed the jersey designs for its six newly named teams.

Each PWHL team operated under its city name, with players wearing jerseys featuring the league’s logo in its inaugural season before names and logos were announced last month.

The Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens will start the PWHL’s second season on Nov. 30 with jerseys designed to reflect each team’s identity and to be sold to the public as replicas.

Led by PWHL vice-president of brand and marketing Kanan Bhatt-Shah, the league consulted Creative Agency Flower Shop to design the jerseys manufactured by Bauer, the PWHL said Thursday in a statement.

“Players and fans alike have been waiting for this moment and we couldn’t be happier with the six unique looks each team will don moving forward,” said PWHL senior vice president of business operations Amy Scheer.

“These jerseys mark the latest evolution in our league’s history, and we can’t wait to see them showcased both on the ice and in the stands.”

Training camps open Tuesday with teams allowed to carry 32 players.

Each team’s 23-player roster, plus three reserves, will be announced Nov. 27.

Each team will play 30 regular-season games, which is six more than the first season.

Minnesota won the first Walter Cup on May 29 by beating Boston three games to two in the championship series.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

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