Last week, British Columbia’s new online gambling website, PlayNow.com, was shut down just hours after its launch. Originally, it was reported that the site’s server crashed due to an unexpected influx of traffic, but it has just been revealed that player safety was the primary concern.
According to the Vancouver Sun, more than 130 user accounts were compromised on the day of PlayNow’s launch. Users wagered $8000 from accounts that did not belong to them, taking money from other customers to place bets on the site’s online casino games.
Other users reported that they were able to see the personal information belonging to accounts other than their own. While some users stated that they were able to view the last four digits of someone else’s credit card, others reported viewing entire account numbers for personal bank accounts.
Perhaps it would have been wise for the BCLC to enlist in the help of the Kahnawake Gaming Comission, Canada’s own online gambling regulatory body. It has been in existence for well over a decade, experiencing few problems with player security. In fact, Kahnawake is a leader in the online gambling world, ensuring the safety of players at many Canadian-based online casinos.
Unfortunately, British Columbia’s provincial government chose to ignore the KGC’s expertise in the industry. As it stands, it seems that gambling at an offshore online casino would be the safer and more secure choice – unless the BCLC chooses to team up with a more experienced online gambling company.
