No. 1Who runs online gambling in BC
The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) runs all commercial gambling in the province on behalf of the provincial government. This includes both casinos and online gambling. The province's gambling page states that gambling in BC is legal only when the provincial government runs it.
PlayNow is BCLC's online gambling site. It offers casino games, poker, lottery and sports betting. BCLC owns and runs it on behalf of the province, and it is open only to players located in BC.
The regulator is the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO). On April 13, 2026, the new Gaming Control Act took effect, and on that date the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB) became the IGCO. According to the provincial announcement, the regulator is independent and is responsible for anti-money-laundering. It may also issue directives to BCLC without the minister's consent.
No. 2Who may use PlayNow
Under the PlayNow Player Agreement, dated May 15, 2024, a player must meet four conditions:
- be at least 19 years old
- be a BC resident
- be physically in BC when playing
- not be enrolled in Game Break or otherwise prohibited
Age and residency are checked through a major Canadian credit bureau. BCLC's eGaming FAQ lists a maximum weekly transfer into an account of $9,999. The province also describes PlayNow as running on fully verified, account-based play.
Visitors from outside the province, including travellers passing through YVR, do not meet the residency requirement. If you are visiting, the land-based options are described on the River Rock page and the other casinos nearby page.
No. 3The official position on other sites
The province states that PlayNow.com is "the only legal online gambling site in B.C." PlayNow says that the IGCO regulates online gambling in BC and that PlayNow holds the sole licence.
On other websites, PlayNow's own wording is: "Other sites may be reachable here, but without a B.C. licence, they're not legal." PlayNow also warns that an unlicensed site can stall withdrawals or add new verification steps, and that no one will step in to stop it.
This guide does not recommend or link to any online gambling operator.
No. 4Policy changes in 2025 and 2026
The official sources record two recent changes:
- October 1, 2025: BCLC began reporting casino payouts over $10,000 to FINTRAC, the federal financial intelligence agency. These reports include the identity of the person who ultimately receives the money.
- April 13, 2026: the Gaming Control Act took effect, and the IGCO replaced GPEB.
The desk found no official BC government or BCLC source saying that the province plans to license private online operators. News outlets have reported ministerial comments in 2025 and 2026 about unregulated online gambling and about the PlayNow platform itself. The desk has not been able to confirm these reports from official sources, so they are not presented here as fact.
No. 5GameSense and Game Break
GameSense is BCLC's responsible gambling program. It was launched in 2009 and is built into PlayNow. GameSense Advisors can be reached in several ways:
- by phone at 1-866-815-0222
- through PlayNow Live Chat
- in person at any BC casino or community gaming centre
Game Break is BCLC's voluntary self-exclusion program. The available terms are six months, one year, two years or three years. An exclusion begins as soon as you enrol and cannot be cancelled or shortened before it ends, although it can be extended at any time. You may enrol in any of these ways:
- in person at a gambling facility or a BCLC office
- virtually with a GameSense Advisor
- directly on PlayNow.com
- by phone at 1-866-815-0222, pressing 3 (7 a.m. to midnight daily)
BCLC's April 2025 fact sheet states that enrolment, wherever it is made, excludes a person from both PlayNow and all BC gambling facilities. An older third-party listing described online enrolment as covering online play only. If this matters to you, you may wish to confirm the scope with a GameSense Advisor when you enrol.
No. 6If you would like support
Gambling Support BC offers free, confidential help to BC residents. Its services include one-on-one and group counselling, for your own gambling or a family member's, as well as anonymous outreach and Indigenous services. The helpline is 1-888-795-6111, toll-free and open 24/7.
Further details are on the Gambling Support BC site and on the desk's support services page.