British Columbia’s Gambling Landscape: Current Trends and Future Prospects for this High Risk Payment Sector

British Columbia has long had a tight rein on legalized gambling. Yet as other provinces increase their offerings and competitions, is it enough, and does British Columbia need to rethink its strategy? 

Gambling in British Columbia is perfectly legal. However, it has to be done through operations regulated by the province. When it comes to commercial gambling, all activities are overseen by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC). This includes both physical gambling locations and digital gambling. Any gambling done for charity is overseen by the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch.

Regulatory Framework and Key Players 

PlayNow is operated by the British Columbia Lottery Association. Generally, Playnow provides everything you would find in an online casino anywhere else in Canada or the world. This includes a full suite of slot games, table games, lottery products and sports betting on a range of markets. It is the only provider endorsed by the regional government.

By no means does this imply Canadian players limit themselves to one provider. Many choose to use casinos operating from other provinces, or they will go to the best international ones. This is often the case, as they can then find the best bonuses suggested by third parties for slots and table games like poker and online baccarat.

Overview of Online Gambling in British Columbia

Estimates are that around 72% of citizens in British Columbia gamble at least once a year, including lotteries and sports betting. In fact, 44% of people play the lottery, making it the most popular branch. The 35 to 64 year age group are the most likely to gamble, with 75% of them doing so. In the 18 to 34 category, only 65% of those in the study gambled.

The public’s view on gambling in British Columbia is quite mixed. Around 41% of the population believes that legalized gambling is not a good thing for British Columbia. A further 47% had no views on it, with the rest believing it was a positive outcome for British Columbia. Only around 3% of the population is at risk of problem gambling behaviours, with this being most prevalent in minority groups like South East Asian communities.

Changes to High Risk Payment Accounts

The online gambling industry has long been seen as a high-risk payment sector. This is due to the number of chargebacks that can take place. At one point, this meant that paying for the services of online casinos could be tough.

Luckily, through regulation changes across the globe, this has improved, and Canada is no different. As well as major payment gateways like Visa and Mastercard, Canadian casinos now use other methods such as e-Wallets.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Industry

There are currently movements to end the monopoly of PlayNow. Amee Barber is a consultant lobbyist in the country. She is currently in discussion with several public agencies on behalf of the Canadian Gaming Association regarding the collection of information on other iGaming ventures in Canadian provinces. Another review on behalf of the Canadian Online Gaming Alliance about the creation of a regulatory regime for internet gaming is ongoing.

The Canadian Online Gaming Alliance has members licensed in Ontario, European jurisdictions and some US states. Their aim is to educate on the benefits of regulated iGaming markets. Its members are also some of the key players in global iGaming, with many of the brand names you would expect to be involved.

Future Outlook and Potential Developments 

By no means is the province settling on its laurels. It has already begun to look at expanding its offerings and making changes. One of these is that the British Columbia Lottery Corporation has recently opened the province’s first retail sportsbook lounges. Known as PROLINE, they are what people in the United Kingdom call a ‘Bookies’. This is a physical location where people can go in and make bets while watching the action on television screens.

The difference is that both of these have been opened at existing casinos. The first is at the Chances Casino Kelowna, with the second at the Parq Casino in Vancouver. This is very much an expansion of the BCLC’s presence, as opposed to opening up the market to competition. Each is equipped with television screens, options for food and drinks, along with betting terminals.

Steps have also been taken to improve its slot games. Currently, it operates these under the name of BC Gold. Many of the machines have now been in operation for 20 years or more. This will be done by the Japanese gaming experts Konami, with whom they have signed an agreement.

This should see 245 new video slot machines created. There will also be a change to displays, along with custom software, in the 27 casino locations it operates in. It will maintain its much-loved progressive slot feature. This works on a tiered structure in which the higher level allows players to win a Mystery Gold Jackpot and the lower a smaller Mystery Silver Jackpot.

It is a sign that the province is moving towards a bright future. The question is whether this is enough. With so much competition from other provinces and abroad, BC may need more to keep its customers in-house.