Employment impact of gaming industry in Canada much greater than previously understood

New research undertaken as part of the most comprehensive study ever conducted on the economic impact of gaming in Canada reveals that the more than 135,000 Canadians are directly employed in the gaming industry, the country’s largest and economically significant entertainment industry.

Factoring in the indirect and induced impacts of economic activity in this sector, the total number of full-time jobs supported by the gaming industry in Canada swells to more than 267,000. For 2006, this translated into more than $11.6 billion in labour income, paid to employees in the form of wages, salaries, and supplementary income.

“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 Industry (CGA).

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 new research released today marks the first time that detailed analyses of the employment and economic impact of the Canadian gaming industry have been broken out by province. 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.

Study findings include :
	The gaming industry contributes $15.3 billion to the economy directly, with most of this revenue ($8.7 billion or 57 per cent) going to support government programs and services, as well as to charities. $6.6 billion (43 per cent) was spent to sustain operations, paid out as salaries, and used to purchase goods and services.
	The industry generates approximately $721 million in non-gaming revenue, such as food, beverage and entertainment.
	The Canadian gaming industry contributes more to the promotion of responsible gaming than any other jurisdiction in the world, according to the study. Canadian provinces currently spend approximately $74.3 million on problem gambling treatment, research and awareness prevention initiatives.

For more detailed information on the economic impacts by province and on the study methodology : www.canadiangaming.ca/media_uploads/pdf/60.pdf

Posted Wednesday, April 9, 2008