The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) has worked hard over the course of the past year to launch a successful online gambling website. Despite a few hiccups at the initial launch, PlayNow.com has thrived in British Columbia’s gaming market. Now, the BCLC is looking to take this show on the road, as it considers exporting its online gambling system for other provinces to use.
Since the BCLC was the first province to launch its own online gambling website, it started a trend among its peers. Soon after PlayNow.com launched, Loto Quebec created its own online casino website called EspaceJeux. Now, several other provincial lottery operators are making their own plans to launch online gambling websites – so, this presents the perfect opportunity for BCLC’s new business venture.
According to Michael Graydon, CEO of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, the idea was inspired by Vantage Airport Group. Formerly known as Vancouver Airport Services, the company branched out by offering its services to other companies rather than simply providing for itself. BCLC felt that this would be the best route forward for its online gambling services.
“We have expertise that would be valuable to other regulated gambling jurisdictions," says Graydon.
The venture seems to have been sparked by the Manitoba Lotteries. This provincial lottery operator has spent quite some time planning its foray into the online gambling market. Now, the organization has announced that it will be using PlayNow.com’s software to run its online gaming operation. It would be the first online gaming partnership for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, and would likely set an example for other lotteries considering launching online gambling sites.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation would likely benefit. Earlier this year, the OLG announced its plans to venture into the online gambling market. It is accepting proposals from online gaming operators, as the OLG wants to hand the operation of the site off to an experienced gaming developer that can run all aspects of the site. This would be the perfect opportunity for the BCLC; however, it has not yet announced plans to get involved with Ontario’s pursuit of online gaming.
