The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) has begun offering single events sports betting to its customers today after the enactment of Bill C-218, also known as the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act.
The offering will be made through Playnow.com which, in the fiscal year 2020/21, generated a record-breaking $252m to the province of British Columbia.
The enactment of the bill comes in time for the NFL season to kick off in early September and ahead of the resumption of winter sports in Canada.
Lynda Cavanaugh, BCLC’s Interim President and CEO, commented: “This is a landmark moment for BCLC and our players.
“We’re excited to enhance our offerings on PlayNow.com, the only gambling website operating in BC where revenue goes back to British Columbians by supporting provincial initiatives like healthcare, education and community programs.”
Despite the enactment of the bill and commencement of sports betting in British Columbia, BCLC say that they will “continue to prioritise the health of players,” on Playnow by providing several tools which can help users limit themselves to safe betting including dedicated player-health specialists who are available throughout the day.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, BCLC said: “Under BC’s Gaming Control Act, BCLC has the delegated authority to conduct and manage commercial gambling — including online gambling — on behalf of the Province of BC. No other person or company may conduct, manage, or operate a commercial gambling organization in BC.
“As BC’s only legal online gambling website, PlayNow.com must meet high standards for technical integrity, age verification and responsible gambling, as well as federal anti-money laundering requirements.”
