A Brief History Of Gambling In Canada

January 2, 2017

Royal Vegas online casino is popular with Canadian players. Its blog page has several items of interest for Canadians, both related to gambling and otherwise. One recent blog is about the history of gambling in Canada.

Gambling has always been a popular pastime with the First Nations. John Cabot was the first European to land in Canada in 1497. He has recorded that native tribe played games of chance. These gambling games apparently had a profound effect on the tribes and led to spiritual, emotional, mental and physical development.

Canada came into existence in 1867. In 1892, the Canadian federal government banned all forms of gambling. But some gambling activities were permitted very soon. By 1900 both bingo and raffles were allowed. At the turn of the century horseracing was added as an accepted form of gambling. By 1925, fairs were allowed to hold gambling events. In 1969, public lotteries were legalised. But the big push to casino gambling came in 1985 when the control of gambling was transferred from the federal government to the provincial governments.

Coming into the 21st century, Canada boasted of a number of world class land casinos. Some of the top gambling destinations are River Rock Casino Resort in British Columbia, River Cree Resort and Casino in Alberta, Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino and Casino Niagara in Ontario and Casino de Montreal in Quebec. The extent that gambling is prevalent in Canada can be gauged from the fact that the country has over 31,000 slot machines, more than 1,800 bingo hall permits, 59 permanent casinos and 32,000 lottery ticket centres.

Online gambling is an added option for Canadian players today. Players who are either not able or willing to make the trip to land casinos can gamble from the comfort of their homes. One of the leading online casinos is Royal Vegas. It is powered by the leading software provider Microgaming and is fully licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority. Royal Vegas is just one of the brands of the reputed Fortune Lounge group. Other popular online casinos of this group include Platinum Play and 7 Sultans. You can play the complete range of land casino games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps. In addition there is an amazing range of video slots, some of them attached to progressive jackpots that pay millions of dollars at one go.

The Royal Vegas blog also touches upon the future of gambling in Canada. One of the most exciting prospects is virtual reality gambling. Royal Vegas will be in the forefront when it arrives.

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