Industry tops $17.1 billion in revenue, directly supports over 182,000 jobs

The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) released its National Economic Benefits of the Canadian Gaming Industry, which examines the size, growth of the and impact of the Canadian gaming industry as it welcomes gaming industry professionals from across Canada and around the world who are gathered at the Edmonton Convention Centre for the 23rd Annual Canadian Gaming Summit.

In 2017, the industry produced $17.1 billion in gaming win, which includes $1.0 billion in non-gaming revenue (food and beverage, entertainment, accommodations, retail) and demonstrates that gaming in Canada is a strong pillar of the broader hospitality industry and a significant generator of jobs and income for communities. Gaming in Canada directly supports approximately 182,500 jobs with an average salary of almost $65,000, which translates into $11.9 billion in labour income. Additionally, the industry purchases over $14.6 billion in goods and services annually, generating $18.9-billion of value-added GDP to the Canadian economy.

Gaming also sizably exceeds other segments of the entertainment industry in terms of the direct impact on the economy. Over the same period, gaming revenues exceeded those of social establishments, spectator sports, performing arts, movie theatres, and magazine and book sales combined.

“Gaming in Canada continues to grow and is an important employer and provider of meaningful returns to the Canadian economy balanced with socially responsible measures,” said Paul Burns, President and CEO, Canadian Gaming Association. “The size and scope of the industry have created a positive economic environment, where many of the goods and services needed to sustain operations are now produced and/or offered in Canada, and a number of Canadian companies are exporting gaming-related products and services internationally.”

Real Benefits in Local Communities

Canada’s gaming industry is a significant contributor to communities across Canada – it is increasingly technology-based and internationally-focused and represents a full spectrum from uniform manufacturers to global providers of printing solutions and game technology. Present in almost every region of the county, gaming remains a vital contributor to local communities as well as proud corporate neighbours who invest in their locations.

The following companies illustrate the diversity of Canada’s gaming industry as well as the large and small communities where they operate.

Nanoptix Inc., in Dieppe, New Brunswick, is a global provider of printing solutions and technologies for the gaming, lottery, kiosk, POS and amusement markets. Unisync™ Corp., in Mississauga, Ontario, is a leading customer-­focused provider of corporate apparel. Pollard Banknote, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a trusted and reliable full-service instant ticket printing and related services partner and serves over 50 clients worldwide. Jackpot Digital, in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a leading electronic table games manufacturer and mobile gaming provider for the cruise ship industry and regulated casino industry.

Gateway Casinos & Entertainment, in Burnaby, British Columbia, is one of the largest and most diversified gaming and entertainment companies in Canada, with 27 gaming properties in three provinces and more than 8,000 employees.  Gateway always strives to be a good corporate neighbour, working closely with community leaders to ensure it takes an active role in supporting economic development but also supporting important community and charitable initiatives through Gateway Gives, its corporate giving and community engagement program.

“Last year, we contributed over $1,000,000 to more than 1,500 community and charitable organizations across Canada,” said Tony Santo, CEO, Gateway Casinos. “We strongly believe in offering not just our resources, but also our time, our know-how and our properties in supporting local efforts in the communities where we operate.  We support and encourage all of our employees to be actively involved in projects, causes and initiatives that aim to build stronger, healthier and more vibrant communities.”

An Evolving Industry

As the companies listed above demonstrate, Canada’s gaming enterprises, technologies, products and expertise are in constant demand. The expansion and evolution of our industry has been driven by several key factors: technological innovations, shifts in public perception, consumer preferences for new products, and the innovation occurring in a globalized, competitive market. This has also translated into interest from international companies wanting to make a home in Canada.

“Gaming in Canada has been a success from an economic development, revenue, and employment perspective,” added Burns. “Governments have profited from new tax revenues, local economies have profited from new companies, jobs have been created, and significant capital investment and economic activity have materialized.”

The CGA has created a series of infographics, including provincial snapshots, that are available for download along with the full study and a summary, on canadiangaming.ca.

About the Canadian Gaming Association:
The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) is a national trade association that works to advance the evolution of Canada’sgaming industry. The association’s mandate is to promote the economic value of gaming in Canada; use research, innovation, and best practices to help the industry advance; and create productive dialogue among stakeholders.

The CGA is co-owner of both the Canadian Gaming Summit, Canada’s premier annual conference and exhibition for gaming professionals, as well as Canadian Gaming Business magazine. Visit www.canadiangaming.ca to learn more about the CGA and gaming in Canada

Source: Canadian Gaming Association

Annual awards recognize the achievements of the Canadian gaming industry

Every year, The Canadian gaming industry honours the achievements of members within its community. The 2019 Canadian Gaming Summit in Edmonton will recognize one outstanding member in its community for their exceptional leadership and contributions to the industry.

In addition, four members of the First Nation’s gaming community will be honoured for their positive impacts on the gaming industry as well as recognize the remarkable leaders and role models within the First Nations community.

Industry Leadership and Outstanding Contribution

The Canadian Gaming Industry Awards were first introduced 20 years ago to recognize the excellence in achievements, contributions and leadership within the gaming industry.

Congratulations to John Dominelli, the recipient of this year’s Industry Leadership and Outstanding Contribution Award.

John Dominelli

As founder and CEO of NRT Technology, John Dominelli has been an instrumental player in developing innovative technologies which have transformed the gaming industry. Since founding NRT Technology in 1993, John has developed leading technologies such as the first ticket redemption kiosks and jackpot attendant kiosks, as well as numerous other innovations utilized by casinos and millions of people daily. NRT Technologies has grown drastically over the years, acquiring multiple technology companies and has developed to become the number one gaming kiosk provider in the world.

John’s love for solving problems faced by the gaming industry and his revolutionary solutions drove him to develop one of “Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies” for the past 11 years and John has duly been recognized as E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005.

Today, John has grown NRT Technologies into an international corporation with hundreds of employees, five global locations, and over 100 million transactions annually serving more than 750 customers, including the World’s Top 25 Largest Casinos. John continues to be an exemplary leader in the industry, revolutionizing the technology landscape and building a multi-national leading corporation.

The Canadian Gaming Industry Awards are sponsored by the Canadian Gaming Association.

First Nation Canadian Gaming Award Winners

The 10^th Annual First Nation Gaming Awards honour the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of First Nations people employed by a First Nations casino within Canada and the continued development and improvements within their operations.

Congratulations to the following First Nation Canadian Gaming Award recipients:

First Nation Canadian Gaming Community Service Award

Tracey Aginas

Since 2014, Tracey Aginas has dedicated herself to bettering her community in any way possible. Between her position as a childcare worker and her battle with a rare illness, Tracey has never deviated from her devotion to the Alexis community. As a member of the Nothern Isga Foundation’s board, Tracey has shown an unparalleled dedication to serving her community by consistently volunteering her time to attend special meetings with regulators and planning sessions, in addition to attending all monthly meetings. Despite extenuating circumstances, Tracey never missed a meeting in order to ensure the NIF had a quorum of directors, enabling constant benefits for the Nations members.

Speaking to Tracey’s dedication, Kathleen Alexis, CEO of Northern Isga Foundation Charity, says “Tracey rose above her illness because she is a very caring and appreciative young lady, that wants to make a difference for the betterment in our community.”

First Nation Canadian Gaming Leadership Award

Lise Kwekkeboom

Since joining the team at Casino Rama in 2004, Lise Kwekkeboom has been an instrumental part of the marketing operations. Lise’s exceptional collaboration skills and her dedication to the success of the organization are clearly exemplified in her daily role as well as the numerous initiatives she has taken on and lead to success. Glenn Trickey, VP of Gaming Operations at casino Rama, describes Lise’s leadership style as enthusiastic, customer oriented, open minded, and effective. Lise constantly goes above and beyond her role as Director of Marketing Services by taking on numerous additional initiatives and never misses the opportunities to engage with customers and staff on the floor. As a result of Lise’s exceptional leadership and dedication, Casino Rama has seen revenue enhancements and significant cost savings in many of the initiatives Lise takes on.

First Nation Canadian Gaming Lifetime Achievement Award

John Blair Morin

Blair Morin has been an integral part of the gaming industry since 1991 where he started his career as a Blackjack dealer at The Palace Casino in Edmonton. Today, Blair sits on the Board of Directors of the River Cree Resort & Casino. Blair’s dedication to the gaming industry and the Enoch Cree Nation spans throughout his entire career, supporting and leading initiatives to grow and improve the industry and his community. During his tenure, Blair worked to open the first First Nation’s Casino in Alberta and opened a Casino Dealer School, among many other successful initiatives. Blair’s outstanding work has been repeatedly recognized by his community and he has been awarded three Aboriginal Role Model awards: The Leadership award in 2005, the Economic Development Award in 2009 and the Community Involvement Award in 2016.

Over the last 39 years Blair has dedicated himself to the gaming industry and his home community, playing an instrumental part in the success of all initiatives he takes on.

First Nation Canadian Gaming Employee of the Year Award

Robert Commanda

Bob Commanda has been part of the Casino Rama team since 2001 as a leading technician. Since day one Bob has been an efficient and hardworking technician, who not only leads with proficiency but also with patience, care and understanding. Bob is known for his hands-on approach to leading the technicians, often working side by side with them on the floor and always taking the time to ensure all of his workers not only know how to operate the machines, but also understand how they work. Throughout all of his work, Bob retains his strong belief of “when you know how and understand why, you can repair anything.” With this mindset, Bob has ensured the success of all his technicians and has contributed to improving Casino Rama’s operations. In addition to his hard work training technicians and improving the quality of machines, Bob also developed a tracking program for Casino Rama to ensure continued regulatory compliance. Bob’s expertise and commitment to the success of both the casino and all its technicians has made him an invaluable member Casino Rama’s team.

The First Nation Canadian Gaming Awards are sponsored by Casino Rama and Miller Thompson LLP.

About the Canadian Gaming Association:
The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) is a national trade association that works to advance the evolution of Canada’s gaming industry. The association’s mandate is to promote the economic value of gaming in Canada; use research, innovation, and best practices to help the industry advance; and create productive dialogue among stakeholders.

The CGA is co-owner of both the Canadian Gaming Summit, Canada’s premier annual conference and exhibition for gaming professionals, as well as Canadian Gaming Business magazine. Visit www.canadiangaming.ca to learn more about the CGA and gaming in Canada.

SOURCE Canadian Gaming Association

Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) is proud to have joined the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), a not-for-profit organization that works to advance the evolution of Canada’s gaming industry.

“We are delighted to welcome Gaming Laboratories International to the Canadian Gaming Association,” said Paul Burns, President and CEO, CGA. “GLI joins a growing list of members who represent an inclusive and diverse list of operators, manufacturers, suppliers, and other industry associations who are committed to advocating for the benefits associated with the Canadian gaming industry. They will bring great value to our association, thanks to GLI’s deep history in Canada and its world-class services.”

“We are honored to become an associate member of the Canadian Gaming Association,” said Salim L. Adatia, GLI’s Vice President of iGaming and Canadian Services. “This marks another important milestone in our continuing commitment to the growing Canadian gaming landscape. We’ve been working closely with our Canadian colleagues for many years and we look forward to further enriching our successful relationships with Canadian gaming, lottery, and First Nations regulators, operators, and suppliers through our membership in the CGA.”

The CGA is the primary source of information on gaming in Canada and co-owns the Canadian Gaming Summit, which GLI is sponsoring and speaking at again this year, and Canadian Gaming Business magazine. CGA members enjoy a variety of exclusive benefits, including leveraging the organization’s established relationships with key lottery and gaming senior management, regulators, and government officials; advocacy on key issues and legislation affecting the Canadian gaming and lottery industries; and access to proprietary research on a variety of topics, including public attitudes and opinions, responsible gambling, and economic development.

After 30 years in business, GLI has never lost sight of why we opened our doors in the first place, both in Canada and around the globe: To be the trusted, proven advisor, offering an unparalleled range of services designed to enrich the Canadian gaming environment. Now, GLI’s membership in the CGA further underscores the lab’s strong support for Canada’s growing gaming and lottery industries. For over two decades, GLI has operated a full-service test lab in Burnaby, British Columbia that has provided testing for the land-based, online, charitable, pari-mutuel, and lottery gaming sectors across the country and its global lottery group is based in Moncton, New Brunswick. Additionally, GLI’s cybersecurity and professional services arm: Bulletproof Solutions, Inc. – A GLI Company, is headquartered in Fredericton, New Brunswick. And in 2016, GLI became the first independent test lab to join the Gaming Security Professionals of Canada (GSPC) association.

Salim L. Adatia to Moderate Technology Panel at the Canadian Gaming Summit, June 20, 2019, at 11:15 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.

Salim L. Adatia, GLI’s Vice President of iGaming & Canadian Services, will moderate a panel on the topic: “Exploring Emerging Technologies” during the upcoming 23rd Annual Canadian Gaming Summit taking place at the Edmonton Convention Centre, June 18 – 20, 2019. Adatia will be joined by Stasi Baran, Ph.D., COO of nQube. They will discuss how such emerging technologies as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and cryptocurrencies will impact Canada’s gaming industry; examining the pros, cons, and risks that will have to be managed to adopt them.

About Gaming Laboratories International:

Gaming Laboratories International, LLC delivers the highest quality land-based, lottery, and iGaming testing and assessment services. GLI’s laboratory locations are found on six continents, and the company holds U.S. and international accreditations for compliance with ISO/IEC 17025, 17020, and 17065 standards for technical competence in the gaming, wagering and lottery industries. GLI also holds ISTQB certification.