Why is British Columbia resisting the online gambling gold rush? 1x5p2g

While companies behind some of the world’s largest online betting platforms continue their efforts to nudge the province toward a regulated private market, the government has stated there are “no plans to change” the current laws.

That message was reaffirmed recently by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, despite months of behind-the-scenes lobbying and growing consumer demand. 

Spokesperson, Chris Donnelly, confirmed in a written statement;

Government is not currently planning any changes to gaming regulations.

Under current legislation, British Columbians are legally allowed to gamble online only via PlayNow, the platform operated by the B.C. Lottery Corporation.

However, residents have easy access to a multitude of offshore gambling websites that exist outside the scope of Canadian oversight.

Ontario and Alberta 2g6v5w

In 2022, Ontario became the first Canadian province to legalise private online gambling, sparking a nationwide debate. 

More recently, Alberta ed legislation that opens the door to regulated private operators, with implementation expected as early as next year.

The question raised by the decision of these provinces is: Could B.C. be left behind as the country’s online gambling ecosystem evolves?

Lobbying surge 55244h

Sensing opportunity, major global players are now turning their attention to B.C.

In 2023, Flutter, the parent company of FanDuel, ed its first lobbyist in the province.

Other big names, including Bet365, Entain (which owns PartyPoker and SportingBet), and industry groups like the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), have followed suit.

President of the CGA, Paul Burns said;

There’s been introductions, I guess is the best way to describe it. The reality is that the gambling activity is occurring today. And people are participating in these sites in fairly significant numbers.

Burns and others argue that regulation would not only protect players but also enable the province to collect much-needed tax revenue. 

A 2020 BCLC survey found that while 54% of online gamblers stuck with PlayNow, the rest ventured into the grey market. 

Many industry leaders believe those numbers have grown, especially after Ontario’s legalisation triggered a nationwide spike in gambling ads during major sporting events.

Risk and skepticism 91p6r

Not everyone is convinced that regulation is the answer.

Some researchers and public health advocates fear that normalising online gambling could intensify addiction issues. 

Spencer Murch, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Calgary who studies addictive behaviour had this to say about the possibility of opening up online gamlbing more to the public;

 

The thing that makes online gambling really different from other addictive products is that online gambling changes really quickly. When we think about what will be the impacts of opening up this market, we should anticipate the prevalence of online gambling will go up and problems associated with it will go up.

Murch also cautioned against overstating the size of the so-called black market, pointing out that much of the data comes from industry-funded surveys and lobbying bodies. 

We don’t really have a great idea of how much black market gambling is going on.

Where does B.C go from here? 521n6t

Behind closed doors, discussions between government officials and the gambling industry are slowly unfolding. But in public, the province remains non-committal.

Still, industry insiders like Burns remain optimistic.

I think there is a receptiveness to the conversation. I think there’s a recognition we need to regulate the space better.“Doing nothing is not an option anymore.

Whether B.C. chooses to follow the regulatory path laid out by Ontario and Alberta, or charts a different course entirely, remains to be seen. But as more Canadians place their bets online, the pressure for change is only going to grow.