Course

Gambling in Canada

Faculty
Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
Criminology
Course code
CRIM 4470
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
Gambling has become a ubiquitous form of human behaviour in most societies. This course considers gambling in late modernity through an examination of the historical, legal, political, economic, social and cultural features of western societies with an emphasis on how these features have influenced public policies in Canada. Course themes include an historical synopsis, legal issues, public policy formation, gambling participation, gambling addiction, government operation and regulation, Indigenous gaming, the history and modern ubiquity of technologically-mediated sports betting and criminological concerns such as organized crime, loan sharking, money laundering, fraud and corruption.
Course content
  1. History of gambling in Canada
  2. Political, legal, social, economic, and cultural forces shaping gambling globally and within Canada
  3. Provincial and federal responsibilities with respect to lotteries and other forms of legalized gambling.
  4. Individual and societal costs of problem gambling and gambling addiction.
  5. Operational and regulatory models of legal gambling in Canada
  6. The status of Indigenous gaming in Canada
  7. The gambling-crime nexus
  8. Global gambling expansion and its impact on Canadian gambling policies
  9. The future of such gambling activities as bingo, casinos, Video Lottery Terminals, modern sports betting and Internet-based gambling
  10. Community perceptions of the costs/benefits of gambling
Learning activities

In this course, students will engage in a variety of learning activities such as lecture, group discussion, independent study from assigned materials, case studies, and practical applications such as activities, discussion, collaboration in groups, and case analysis.

Means of assessment

The evaluation will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy.  Instructors may use a student's record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student's graded performance.  Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the course outline. The instructor will provide a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria during the first week of classes.

An example of the methods used include: 

 Class Presentation

  10%
Term Assignment (e.g. Term Paper)  30%
Term Exams  (x2)  50%
Final Examination  10%
Total 100%

This is a letter-graded course.

Learning outcomes

At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Identify and discuss the key dates and circumstances surrounding amendments to the gambling sections of the Criminal Code of Canada.
  2. Examine the legal, social, political, and economic forces that have shaped Canada’s gambling laws and policies.
  3. Explain the role played by provincial governments in monopolizing and expanding legal gambling in Canada.
  4. Critically assess the extent and impact of problem gambling in Canada.
  5. Describe and explain the strategies developed to ameliorate problem gambling in Canada.
  6. Identify and discuss the economic costs and benefits of expanded legal gambling.
  7. Examine the nature of the global expansion of gambling and its impact on Canadian gambling policies.
  8. Discuss and critique the relationship between gambling and crime.
  9. Explain the regulatory and operational models of gambling in Canada, including the status of gambling in Indigenous territories.
  10. Analyze the prospects of continued expansion of legal gambling, such as casinos, lotteries, modern sports betting and Internet-based gambling.
Textbook materials

Instructors will make available a course pack of relevant selected readings, subject to copyright approval.

Examples of texbooks that may be used for this course include:

Belanger, Y.D. (2019). Gambling with the Future: The Evolution of Aboriginal Gaming in Canada. Purich Publishing.

Cassidy, R. (2020). Vicious Games Capitalism and Gambling. Pluto Press.

Funt, D. (2026). Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling. Gallery Books.

 

Requisites

Prerequisites

CRIM 1150

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for CRIM 4470
Langara College (LANG) LANG CRIM 2XXX (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU CRIM 3XX (3)
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU SOCI 2XXX (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU HUMA 4XX (3)
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV ARTS_V 2nd (3)
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV ARTS 2nd (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) UNBC SOSC 3XX (3)
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV CRIM 4XX (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC SOCI 4XX (1.5)

Course Offerings

Fall 2026

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
0
Remaining seats:
35
On waitlist
0
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N3408
Times:
Start Time
18:30
-
End Time
21:20