China News Service, Toronto, August 9th. According to a survey study released by Statistics Canada on August 9th, in 2018, 64% of Canadian respondents over the age of 15 admitted that they had conducted at least one exercise in the past year. Gambling/speculation once.

　　Among the gambling/speculation activities referred to in the survey, the most common was the purchase of lottery tickets or raffle tickets, which 52% of respondents participated in.

Other major activities included: playing electronic gaming machines (such as video lottery terminals), which accounted for 13%; sports betting, which accounted for 8%; casino gambling, which accounted for 7%; and participation in speculative financial market activities, which accounted for 4%.

　　Among the respondents, 72% of those aged 45 to 64 participated in gambling/speculation activities, 44% of those aged 15 to 24, and 65% of those aged 25 to 44 and 65+.

　　In all age groups, the proportion of males is higher than that of females.

More men than women buy sports betting, casino gambling, buying lottery tickets or raffle tickets, but slightly more women than men buy instant lottery tickets or play online games.

　　The survey study found that men, people from low-income households, single, divorced or separated people, those with average or poor self-assessed mental health, and those engaged in many different gambling/speculation activities had gambling/speculation-related problems higher risk.

These risks can come from financial aspects as well as psychological feelings of guilt, stress and anxiety.

　　The survey also found that 71% of respondents from the highest income household group had gambling/speculation in the past year, and 1% were at risk of moderate or severe problems.

Among respondents from the lowest-income households group, the two figures were 54% and 3%, respectively.

This shows that people from low-income households are less likely to gamble/speculate than high-income people, but are also more likely to experience related problems.

　　The data for the study was collected before the COVID-19 pandemic and Canada's Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act of 2021.