BCLC Enhancing PlayNow.com

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) is set to offer residents of the western Canadian province the opportunity to play online casino-style games such as blackjack, roulette and poker through its PlayNow.com domain.

The new games are scheduled to go live from the end of March and represent a first of its kind for Canada and North America with revenues being returned to the government.

“British Columbians currently spend an estimated $87 million each year gambling on approximately 2,000 available unregulated offshore Internet gambling websites,” read a statement from the BCLC.

“PlayNow.com will offer online players the option to play casino-style games such as blackjack, roulette and poker on a secure and regulated website while helping to keep online gaming revenues in British Columbia.”

In addition, the BCLC has also adjusted the weekly deposit limit at PlayNow.com to reflect player demand and industry best practices. The service now allows players to set their weekly deposit limit at any amount between one dollar and $9,999.

Access to PlayNow.com is restricted to residents of British Columbia over the age of 19 while games feature a session log displaying the amount of time spent online. Players will also see responsible gambling reminders and factual information on the odds of winning on their screen while the set transfer in limit is pre-determined by the player. Operated and regulated in British Columbia, all gaming revenues from PlayNow.com are used for the benefit of residents of the province including government, charitable and community programmes and services.