B.C. is third among Canadian provinces when it comes to the proportion of gambling revenue contained within provincial coffers.
According to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning, gambling revenue represented 2.2% of the province’s total revenue in 1992. In 2007, it represented 5.6% of total revenue.
Alberta and Saskatchewan were the only two provinces more reliant on gambling revenue in 2007.
B.C. gambling industry revenue grew 79% to $1.9 billion in 2008 from $403 million in 1992. StatsCan also reported that industry profits grew 78% to slightly more than $1 billion in 2008 from $239 million in 1992.
Nationally, net revenue from government-run lotteries, video lottery terminals (VLTs), casinos and slot machines not in casinos rose to $13.7 billion in 2007 from $2.73 billion in 1992. It has levelled off since 2007. Net gambling revenue in Canada was $13.75 billion in 2009.
Net revenue from horse racing nationally dropped to $355 million in 2009 from $532 million in 1992.
Casino net revenue represented slightly more than one-third of the industry total (34%) nationally in 2009. More men are working in the gambling industry, up to 51% in 2009 from 35% in 1992. The rate of full-time jobs also increased to 82% in 2009 from 60% in 1992.