Gaming industry in Canada worth us$ 15.3 billion in direct spending alone

“This is by far the most detailed research produced to date on the economic significance of the Canadian gaming industry,” said Bill Rutsey, President of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), who commissioned the study.“It provides us with a rigorous basis of information to better understand our industry's pivotal role in the national economy.”

The first phase of the study was released at the CGA's Canadian Gaming Summit, a three-day gathering of more than 1,200 industry representatives in Toronto. The study covers the economic impact of gaming, broken down by type and by region, with a focus on overall revenues, direct employment, revenues generated for all three levels of government, and other ancillary benefits.

The study was conducted by HLT Advisory, a leading provider of consulting and support services to the Canadian and international hospitality, leisure and tourism industries.

Subsequent phases of the study will include an assessment of both the indirect and induced impacts of the gaming industry in Canada to provide an even greater level of detail concerning the overall impact, as well as further regional breakdowns on the impacts of specific gaming activities. Case studies will also be developed to illustrate localized impacts in specific regions.

“This was a challenging and groundbreaking study in terms of geography, the type of information gathered and the level of detail covered,” said Robert Scarpelli, Managing Director of HLT.“In many cases, we validated some of the conventional wisdom regarding the importance of gaming.But in other ways, the preliminary findings were of a greater magnitude than even we had expected.”

Specific findings includ the following: the gaming industry contributes us$ 15.3 billion to the economy directly, with 57% of this revenue going to government programs and services, as well as to charities.

Gaming sizably exceeds other segments of the entertainment industry in terms of the direct impact on the economy. In fact, gaming revenues approximate those of the spectator sports, television, movies, books/magazines, and performing arts sectors combined. The industry generates approximately us$ 700 million in non-gaming revenue, such as food, beverage and entertainment.

“Gaming has grown significantly over the past decade to become an essential pillar of the entertainment industry in Canada,” said Rutsey.“It is rewarding to be able to reliably demonstrate how the majority of spending in the industry goes directly back to Canadians, in the form of paycheques, construction in communities, and in revenues for the programs and services and charities that we value.”

The Canadian Gaming Association represents the gaming industry's leading operators, manufacturers, suppliers and other stakeholders nation-wide. www.canadiangaming.ca

Complete information on the 2007 Canadian Gaming Summit can be found at www.canadiangamingsummit.com.