BCLC

History of British Columbia Lottery Corporation

BCLC, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, is a social-purpose company and Crown corporation that conducts and manages commercial gambling in a socially responsible manner for the benefit of British Columbians.

While lottery sales in British Columbia began in 1974 as part of the Western Canada Lottery Foundation, BCLC was formed in October 1984 and began selling tickets on its own on April 1, 1985. The next year, BCLC introduced Pull Tabs and its first provincial lotto game, Lotto B.C. Other game highlights in the early years include the launch of Extra in 1988 and Keno in 1995. British Columbia was also the first lottery jurisdiction in Canada to offer sports betting when Punto debuted in 1988.

In 1991, BCLC pioneered an automated draw machine that simulates a Ryo-Catteau draw ball machine, technology which was shared with other North American lotteries. With World Meet 1996, BCLC hosted the first-ever joint conference of NASPL, AILE and Intertoto (the two precursors to the World Lottery Association).

A major change occurred in 1997 when BCLC’s mandate was expanded to include casino gaming and electronic/linked bingo. The province’s first destination casino, the Royal City Star, opened in 1999, and the first casino located at a racetrack opened in 2004 at Fraser Downs.

BCLC introduced online gaming in October 2004 with the launch of PlayNow.com. Initially, only sports betting was available online; additional lottery products were added the next year. The website became the first in Canada to offer full casino games, including blackjack, roulette and slots, in 2010 and in 2011, BCLC launched an online poker network together with Loto-Quebec.

In 2013, BCLC began providing its PlayNow.com platform in Manitoba through an agreement with Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. In 2022, BCLC launched PlayNow.com in a third province in Canada as part of a partnership with the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA).

Funds generated by BCLC’s lottery, casinos and sports-betting products go to the Province of British Columbia to help support healthcare, education and community programs. Since 1985, BCLC has delivered $28 billion to the Province of B.C. to help support communities, provincial programs and services. Through the BC First Nations Gaming Revenue Sharing Limited Partnership, the Province of B.C. also shares 7% of BCLC’s net income with B.C. First Nations.

Media Contact:

BCLC Media Relations

604-225-6460