Features
The Canadian Online Casino Market: Overview for 2024
The online casino industry in Canada continues to show remarkable growth and has managed to entice both players and analysts. Certain provinces underwent policy changes that have successfully attracted the digital gambling business outside of the Great White North. Some of these brands are a list of best online casinos in Canada, and they are a go-to choice for thousands of gamblers. You can read in-depth reviews to find out what top-rated operators have in store in terms of games, bonuses, and other relevant features for Canadian players.
The policies that allowed foreign brands to enter the Canadian market were approved in 2022. Now that enough time has passed let’s see what is the situation on the online gambling front and talk about some key players.
Market Size
The growth of the Canadian casino market has been nothing short of spectacular. The data from the Canadian Gaming Association revealed that in 2024, almost 20 million people (50% of the Canadian population) have gambled at an online casino at least once. It is a significant ramp up in activity compared to 2020 when approximately 10 million players used internet gambling sites. In other words, the market is growing very actively, and some estimates claim the number of active players will surpass 30 million by 2029.
To put these numbers into perspective, let’s see how these numbers impact the revenue. By 2024, the online casino gross gaming revenue of Canada is projected to be more than $2 billion, up from $750 million in 2020.
Regulatory Landscape
The legal status of online casinos in Canada is determined by local governments. Despite federal provisions contained in the Criminal Code, individual provinces are free to regulate and license gambling. This has resulted in a situation where some provinces are more liberal with legislation compared to others. What’s more, certain provincial regulators even run their own gambling sites.
The most populous province in Canada, Ontario has led the way in the regulation of online gambling. In April 2022, they opened the doors to private offshore brands, so long as they are compliant with iGaming Ontario. The move has resulted in earrings around $1.26 billion by the end of March 2023. Other provinces have been observing this development and it has created a benchmark for future regulation of the industry throughout the country.
Economic Impact
The economic effect of online casinos in Canada has had an upward trajectory. Tax revenues from internet casinos are projected to reach impressive figures in 2024:
- The expected online casino GGR of $9 billion and the current GST rate of 5% puts the federal government tax revenues at around $450 million from online casinos.
- Total collected taxes from internet casinos in Ontario are estimated at $1.2 billion, depending on the provincial tax rate and gaming activities.
- Jobs are another social-economic advantage of online casino business. The industry is projected to generate over 25,000 direct employment opportunities in 2024; a notable increase from 2021 when that figure was 15, 000. Some examples of these jobs include software development, customer support agents, marketing and data analysis.
Key Players in the Market
In Canada, online gambling is regulated by provinces and each province has its own government-run operators. Here is a list of some state-owned gaming sites by province:
- British Columbia
- PlayNow.com: Currently managed by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, PlayNow.com delivers online casino games, sports betting, and lottery.
- Manitoba
- PlayNow.com: Similarly, through BCLC, the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation (MLLC) employs PlayNow.com to offer online gambling to the people of Manitoba.
- Ontario
- OLG.ca: Online gambling in Ontario is run under the OLG, which runs a site OLG.ca where people can play casino games, buy tickets, and bet on sports.
- Quebec
- Loto-Québec is the provincial regulator that also hosts online casino games, sports betting, poker, and lottery. In 2022-2023, 13.5% (almost $404M) of their total revenue came from online products.
iGaming Ontario or iGO is an affiliated company of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario tasked to regulate and oversee online gaming in Canada. The body works with private operators to offer a regulated gaming network.
Some of the key iGaming Ontario operators include:
- BetMGM
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- PointsBet
- 888 Holdings
These operators are affiliated with iGaming Ontario, which guarantees access to a secure gambling platform.
Player Preferences and Popular Games
Canadian players have also exhibited a relative preference for casino games. According to recent data from iGaming Ontario, for the period from April 1 to June 30, 2024:
- Casino games like slots, live, computer-based table games, and peer-to-peer bingo, represented 84% (nearly $15.5 billion) of total wagering handle and 73% ($529 million) of gaming revenues.
- Esports and novelty bets along with regular and proposition bets contributed 14% of the total wagers, and they were worth $2.5 billion. This roughly translates to a gaming revenue of $181 million.
- Peer-to-peer poker, according to stats from iGaming Ontario, generated $67 million in gaming revenue (2023-2024), and the value of wagers placed exceeds $1.6 billion. Many players participate in multiple online tournaments simultaneously, so getting the accurate number of active players is rather difficult.
Future Outlook
The future of the Canadian online casino market looks promising, with several factors driving continued growth:
- Expanding player base: According to estimates on Statista, the number of active users will reach nearly 34 million by 2029. The current user penetration rate is 69.4%, mainly thanks to the high accessibility of online gambling and macroeconomic factors. Casino entertainment is widely available through smartphones, and Canadians have enough disposable income (USD 34 421 a year per capita) to spend on this leisure.
- Technological advancements. The combination of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in online casino games could revolutionize the players’ experience. Not to mention, AR is considered to be one of the top investments in the future, which is why most casinos are starting to add it to their portfolio.
- Regulatory evolution. The reality is this industry is still new, so there’s a lot of back and forth on the regulatory front. Generally, if online gambling is fully legal (casinos and sportsbooks are permitted) the regulations only get tighter from that point onward. There are new restrictions on advertising, game features, spending limits, etc. Also, fees that businesses pay to cover the social costs of gambling tend to get higher.
- Crypto integrations. Even though cryptocurrencies aren’t legal tender in Canada, they can still be purchased legally. There are several crypto trading businesses that are authorized to exchange currency in Canada, which means these digital coins are readily available. As a result, we will likely see more gambling sites with crypto integrations that Canadians can use.
Market estimations show that the Canadian online casino industry has the potential to record a CAGR of approximately 6.5% in the next five years and it may reach $3.7 billion by 2025.
It wasn’t long ago that the Canadian online casino market was viewed as nothing more than a gamble. But now it is a major player in the country’s digital economy. From the prairies to the coast, Canadians are going online, placing their bets, and contributing to the growth of a new and fast-growing sector.
Features
The Gaza Peace Plan is not a Done Deal, but an Opening
By HENRY SREBRNIK (Oct. 23, 2025) The idea that Hamas will voluntarily disarm, that international forces will deploy in the Gaza Strip, and that the process of building a Palestinian government by people like former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in which a disarmed Hamas does not participate, are false hopes, if not fantasies. But does this mean U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan was useless? Of course not.
Trump understood the necessity of bringing the war to an end. But he also believed that endless debate among experts or, worse, historian and lawyers, would never produce an agreement. He presented an offer – actually, an ultimatum – to Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas that neither could refuse: immediate, unconditional and complete release of all hostages and missing persons, something the Israeli public longed for, in exchange for a final end to the war, which a humbled Hamas needed.
Two years of war has left Hamas weaker than it had been in decades. Israeli bombardments had shattered the group’s military capabilities and depleted its arsenals. In many neighborhoods, control had drifted to local clan networks and tribal councils. This hinted at something that could one day replace Hamas’s iron grip. To prevent this, Hamas has been ruthlessly murdering all potential rivals in the areas of Gaza it controls since the ceasefire went into effect.
Despite the severe degradation of its military capabilities during the war, Hamas still has more soldiers and weapons than all its rival factions in Gaza combined. Hamas has managed to redeploy approximately 7,000 militants to reassert control over the territory. They have publicized photographs and videos of their forces murdering and torturing; the victims include women and children.
The ceasefire is a temporary reprieve for Hamas: a chance to regroup, rearm, and prepare for the next round of fighting. In Islamist political thought there’s a word for it, hudna — a temporary truce with non-Muslim adversaries that can be discarded as soon as the balance of power shifts. Then the time for jihad will arrive again. Hamas was established in 1987 and isn’t going to disappear.
In fact Hamas also says it expects an interim International Transitional Authority to hire 40,000 Hamas employees, and Hamas spokesman Basem Naim says he expects its fighters to be integrated into a post-transition Palestinian state.
Still, Trump has succeeded in ending the current war in Gaza, where Joe Biden failed. Biden’s national security team, drawn almost entirely from his supposed expert class, didn’t even see the crisis coming. Just five days before the attack, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had published an article in Foreign Affairs in which he wrote that “the region is quieter than it has been for decades.”
Biden also had insulted the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, by publicly condemning the 2018 murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. And, of course, there was Biden’s poor relationship with Netanyahu, and his chronic inability to get the Israeli prime minister to do what he wanted.
By contrast, Trump returned to office with substantially more influence in both the Gulf and Israel, based on his first-term successes in the Middle East, especially the Abraham Accords (for which he’s never been praised by his political enemies).
Four Arab countries formally recognized Israel, beginning with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed by Sudan and Morocco. The next stage was intended to include Saudi Arabia. One motive put forward by some analysts for the October 7 attacks was that they were intended to provoke Israel into a response that would derail Saudi Arabia’s admission.
Instead of sitting Israelis and Arabs in a room and expecting them to negotiate an outcome, Trump’s approach has been to exert leverage through other players in the region, especially, Egypt, Turkey, and – most importantly – Qatar.
In Jerusalem, they call Qatar “the spoiler state.” Israelis describe the emirate as two trains running behind the same engine. One, led by the Qatari ruler’s mother and brother, supports the Muslim Brotherhood and is an unmistakable hater of Israel. The other, led by the prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and several other senior figures, seeks rapprochement with the West.
The Qataris were shocked when Israeli jets on Sept. 9 conducted an airstrike in Doha targeting the leadership of Hamas. They then signed onto Trump’s peace plan at a meeting in New York Sept. 23, hosted by Trump and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Ibn Hamad Al Thani, and attended by the leaders of eight Arab states, along with members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Netanyahu was then browbeaten into accepting the plan (and also forced to apologize to the Emir for the airstrike). It was somewhat ironic that the airstrike made the peace plan possible. As well, Trump’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June gave this negotiation some very sharp teeth.
“If you would rather leave peacemaking to the historians and diplomats, then you may wait a long time for wars to end,” suggested Niall Ferguson of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, in an Oct. 15 Free Press article. His advice? Go to the “deal guys: They get the job done.”
In a sense, both Israel and Hamas had accomplished their goals. Israel had broken the Iranian axis of terror by eliminating Hezbollah and Hamas as a fighting force, along with the Iranian nuclear threat. Hamas had succeeded in luring Israel into a trap that led it to become hated and isolated around the world. This included the labelling of Israel as genocidal and the global call for a Palestinian state.
The rest of the 20-point peace plan will be addressed in a step-by-step fashion. Meanwhile, Israel must ensure that it retains freedom of action in Gaza, by decisive action against any attempt by Hamas to rebuild its army, its rockets, its battalions and its divisions.
Henry Srebrnik is a professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Features
Why Fitness Routines Fall Apart — and How to Rebuild Yours
Every spring, gyms see a flood of hopeful faces. New shoes, fresh playlists, unwavering intentions, by mid-summer? Half of them vanish into the fog of abandoned routines. The story repeats year after year until it starts to feel almost scripted. Why does enthusiasm evaporate? The easy answer involves willpower but that explanation misses the point. Habits don’t fail because people are weak. Life stress, boredom, and monotony ruin routines. Timely lever pulls can change narratives. The hardest part is persevering when motivation wanes.
Mistaking Motivation for Momentum
Most chase that opening surge, the lightning strike of motivation, but then stop searching once enthusiasm fizzles. A scroll through sites like PUR Pharma (pur-pharma.is/) or a glimpse of an influencer’s progress triggers a burst of action: new workout gear ordered, plans scribbled in planners destined for dusty drawers. Yet momentum fades when small setbacks pop up (a late meeting here, rainy weather there). Real progress comes from building systems stronger than any fleeting pep talk. Those who frame fitness as something owed to motivation end up back at square one every time life interrupts, which it always does.
Overcomplicating Everything
It’s tempting to turn wellness into a science fair project with spreadsheets and specialized equipment lined up on day one. This is the allure of complexity disguised as seriousness, a new diet paired with seven types of supplements and four color-coded bottles. Simplicity gets lost in the noise almost instantly. Most successful routines rely on two principles: keep it simple and keep showing up even when everything else is chaos outside those gym walls. Anyone insisting that perfection is required before taking step one has already constructed an excuse not to begin at all.
Forgetting Fun Completely
Who decided exercise must hurt or look like punishment? Somewhere along the line, fun got swapped out for grind culture and “no pain, no gain.” That isn’t just unappealing, it’s unsustainable over months or years. If sessions feel like torture devices borrowed from medieval times, nobody should be surprised when commitment falters fast. Seek activities that actually spark some joy or curiosity, a dance class instead of yet another treadmill session, maybe, or play a pickup game rather than slogging through solo circuits again and again.
Ignoring Recovery (and Reality)
Sleep deprivation, disguised as discipline, fools anyone, except perhaps uncritical Instagram followers. Ignoring recovery turns ambition into tiredness faster than any missed session. Because bodies break without rest, routines must breathe with owners. Cycling, real leisure, and honest self-checks regarding weekly goals build endurance, not continual pushing.
Conclusion
Change rarely arrives by force alone but usually grows quietly from patterns repeated imperfectly over time, even if last month looked nothing like this week so far. Drop the hunt for nonstop inspiration. Instead of breaking behaviors at the first hint of stress or boredom, build habits that last. People who rebuild methodically after every stumble or detour make progress, not those who peak and then fall.
Features
How DIY Auto Repairs Can Help You Cut Costs—Safely
Regular maintenance and minor repairs are the greatest approach for many car drivers to save money without sacrificing dependability. DIY repairs can save you a lot of money over the life of your car since most of the expense is in the labour. DIY helps you learn how things work and notice tiny issues before they become costly ones. Every work requires planning, patience, and safety.
Test Your Talents with Safe Limits
DIY solutions succeed when one is honest about their talents. Wiper blades, air filters, and occupant filters are beginner-friendly. With the correct equipment, intermediate owners can replace brake pads, spark plugs, coolant, and brake fluid. Pressurized fuel, high-voltage hybrids, airbags, and timing components are risky. Only professionals should manage them. Limitations protect you and your car. Drivers trust sources like Parts Avenue to find, install, and schedule manufacturer-approved work.
Set Up a Reliable Workspace and Tools
Good tools pay for themselves quickly. Ratchets, torque wrenches, combination wrenches, heavy jack stands, and wheel chocks are essential. It is advisable to engage specialists for specific tasks. A clean, flat, well-lit, and open space is essential. Please take your time. While working, keep a charged phone nearby to read repair instructions or write torque patterns.
Find the Problem before Replacing the Parts
It may cost more to replace something without diagnosing it. Instead of ideas, start with symptoms. OBD-II readers detect leaks, sounds, and DTCs. Simple tests like voltage, smoke indicating vacuum leaks, pad thickness, and rotor runout might reveal failure. A good analysis saves components, protects surrounding parts, and fosters future trust.
Maintenance That Pays off is Most Crucial
Jobs compensate for time and tools differently. Prioritize returns and maintenance. Change the oil and filter, rotate the tires, evaluate the air pressure, replace low brake fluid, clean the coolant with the right chemicals, and replace belts and filters before they fail. These items extend automotive life, stabilize fuel efficiency, and reduce roadside towing issues that can take months to resolve.
Do as Instructed, Utilize Quality Parts, and Follow Torque Requirements
Understand the service. Set the jacking points, tighten the screws in the appropriate order, and use threadlocker or anti-seize as suggested by the maker. Rotor wear can cause leaks, distortions, or broken threads. Choose components that meet or exceed OEM requirements and fit your car’s VIN, engine code, and manufacturing date. Cheap parts that break easily cost extra.
Test, Record, and Discard Carefully
Safely test the system before patching. Check under the car for drops, bleed the brakes again, and check fluid levels after a short drive. Note torques, parts, miles, and repair date. Photo and document storage for car sales. Properly dispose of oil, filters, coolant, and brake fluid. Controlling hazards protects your community and workplace.
Know When to Seek Professional Help
Self-employed individuals recognize their constraints. If a task is challenging, requires special instruments, or involves safety, consult an expert. Collaboration makes cars safer, cheaper, and more efficient. Selecting, planning, and implementing processes properly improves performance, lowers costs, and ensures safety.
