Source: UnsplashGaming is big business in Canada, both as a provider of jobs and a popular leisure activity. In 2019, it was found that the Canadian games industry, through wages and revenue, contributed over $4 billion to the national GDP. What's more, studios were distinctly showing their ability to grow and to pump more money into the industry.
On the consumer side, Canada’s games market, by revenues, ranks eighth in the world, despite having a far smaller population than every other nation in the top ten. Then, of course, there’s the burgeoning iGaming sector, which is already estimated to be in the region of $2.4 billion in value.
Despite the incredible sums of money revolving around all forms of gaming in Canada, it’s the inherent accessibility of free gaming that’s laid the foundation of the industry. Looking at the products and offers, it’s easy to see how it’s risen to prominence.
Even the Exclusively Pay-to-play Gaming Is Free
Of the iGaming sector in Canada, one form of gaming stands above all others: slot gaming. Table games certainly have an enthusiastic, often strategy-based following, but the sheer popularity of slots has led to sites offering users to play them for free. The likes of Gonzo’s Quest, Book of Dead, and Dim Sum Prize compete for the top spot among Canadian players, with many of them making the most of experience through bonus funds and free spins.
As shown by Betpal Canada, a guide for Canadian online casino gaming, all of the top-rated online casinos in Canada offer some form of bonus to newcomers. These can come by way of a matched deposit bonus – which usually doubles the initial deposit with bonus funds – a no-deposit bonus, and often some free spins for slots thrown into the mix. Making the games that are usually pay-as-you-play free, or at least more accessible, makes it much easier for those interested in the entertainment products to make the decision to try the games.
Further Growth Is in the Works Thanks to Free Titles
Source: Pixabay
One of the most exciting areas of growth in the global games industry right now is eSports: the sector which turns balanced and competitive games into sporting spectacles. It’s only recently breached the $1 billion mark in recent years. Still, it’s big, and it’s growing, with Canada being primed for a tremendous amount of growth. According to the report from the Canada Media Fund, the country ranks 26th among 41 studied countries, with eSports still being in its infancy according to experts.
Even in its relatively young state, and still being somewhat of a niche interest among Canadian gamers, some players have emerged onto the global stage as top-class competitors. eSports Flag indicated that most of Canada’s teams are a part of the Counter-Strike, StarCraft II, and Overwatch scenes, all of which are free-to-play. Yet, it’s DOTA 2 that’s given out the greatest earnings count to Canadian players to date. This boils down to two players in particular, ‘Arteezy’ and ‘Aui_2000,’ who have each earned more than $2 million by playing DOTA 2.
Gaming is already big in Canada, across all of its digital forms, and yet there’s still room for growth. Importantly, much of it is still built on the ability to start playing for free, which will only help to create more gamers in the coming years.