Just as Las Vegas is the spiritual home of gambling in the United States of America, so is Montreal in Canada. It is the city most synonymous with casino games in Canada and is a major player in the local economy too, providing an estimated 15,000 jobs.
Extrapolate that out to the province of Quebec and there are a further 36,000 jobs provided by the gambling sector. Whether that be in the form of those directly employed by land-based casinos, those working in Montreal’s 200+ gaming studios or those who are indirectly employed such as maintenance staff and marketers.
It is safe to say then that gambling plays a crucial role in the prosperity of Montreal, but how exactly did that become the case?
The Casino de Montreal
It certainly helps that Montreal is home to the largest and most famous casino in the county – The Montreal Casino. Opened in 1993 at a cost of $95 million, the venue is the premier place in Canada to play blackjack, roulette and any other table game you can imagine.
Of the 15,000 people employed in the gambling trade in Montreal, just under 3,000 of them are directly employed by the Casino de Montreal. The very existence of this casino in Montreal hints at something more revealing about the city’s relationship with gambling – it was the prime location for a mega casino.
Here’s why…
Immigration & War
In the 19th century the dominant way of thinking in Montreal came from the largely protestant population, who in terms of gambling were very pro-prohibition. So much so that most forms of gambling in Quebec were criminalised between 1892 and 1929.
Towards the end of this period there was a surge in immigration to Montreal of non-protestants, with Irish and Italian Catholics, Jews and Chinese making up the majority of immigrants. These groups of people were far more tolerant towards the idea of gambling than their protestant neighbours and also brought with them a historic culture of gambling.
Unsurprisingly, illegal gambling venues began to pop up in immigrant areas. These proved popular for a decade or so, but the major tipping point in terms of attitudes to gambling came during the Second World War.
In a bid to raise funds for the war effort, the government began to run raffles, lotteries and sweepstakes. When the war concluded, it proved impossible to row back on these forms of gambling. This, in effect, sparked a chain of events toward widespread legalisation that could not be stopped.
As Montreal was at the epicentre of this, mainly due to the immigrant population of the 1930s, in 1993 it was the only real choice for a super casino. Which is why the Casino de Montreal was built here and not in Halifax or Winnipeg.
The Future of Gambling in Montreal
Whilst Montreal might have the immigrant population of the 1930s to thank for establishing it as Canada’s premier gambling hotspot, the current landscape couldn’t be further from those clandestine gambling houses.
Now Montreal is home to some of the country’s most forward thinking gambling companies. Those who have ditched the old school image of bricks and mortar casinos and are looking to the future of the online sector.
With the legislative landscape in the country on the verge of a seismic shift, Montreal is at the epicentre once again. It is where the country’s brightest industry minds are busy plotting the next hit domestic online casinos and sports wagering companies.
If the success of these two industries in other countries is anything to go by, we are on the verge of a huge economic boom. In the coming years the number of people directly employed by the gambling industry in Montreal could treble with revenues predicted to soar.
Final Thoughts
The Casino de Montreal and the historic gambling houses of the 1930s are living relics to Montreal’s relationship with gambling. In the coming decades however it will be Silicon Valley style offices and warehouses that play a more significant role in gambling here in Quebec.
It’s only right though, considering the history of the city and the province, that the next generation of Canadian gambling be born and nurtured here.
Also Read: 10 Sectors in Canada That Are Taking The Business World By Storm
